Venomous
by LeisaTheGreat
Summary: After discovering a previously unknown species of dragon, Hiccup begins to come down with some alarming symptoms. It quickly becomes a race against time for his friends and father to find the cure before his illness becomes too serious. But will Hiccup be able to hold on long enough for them to save him? Includes a dragon from the book series. Moments of Hiccstrid. Fatherly!Stoick
1. Docile

_**Chapter One**_

_**A/N: Hey guys! Welcome back! :D Just a few things to be aware of before you start...**_

_**1. This first chapter is set-up for what's to come. Slight Hiccstrid but not really.**_

_**2. This chapter, in particular, could be considered a 'prequel' of sorts for HTTYD 2... (you'll see)**_

_**3. I'm going to try to keep this one decently short and make sure the pacing isn't too fast or slow. (That was a bit of an issue in Blood Letter, or it was in my opinion at least.)**_

_**4. This was inspired by a prompt I received from Slowpoke09 (it was fairly vague so I just built a story around the two scenarios they gave me.) **_

_**I hope you like it and don't forget to REVIEW! :D**_

_**In response to...**_

_Slowpoke09: __**AT LONG LAST! Your request has been posted! (Sorry for the wait...)**_

_OinkyThePiggy: __**Yay! I'm glad my posting schedule helped you out in the morning. XD I'm not exactly a morning person, myself...**_

_InfinitiumAce: __**Oh my god. XDD Just...the whole review... XDDDD I read that in the HALLWAY at SCHOOL and I was laughing OUT LOUD and people gave me the weirdest looks...but I don't care. Because it was funny. *Ahem* Good job on finishing your exams! And like I said before, I LOVE long reviews! They're not useless, they make me happy!**_

_NightFury999: __**Unfortunately, Venomous is not a continuation of Blood Letter...although I am thinking about another sequel for Hope and Heir/Blood Letter... Eventually.**_

_Foxlight The Dragon Trainer: __**D'aww, don't be sad! The new story is posted so...buck up! :D**_

_Blue - The First Traveller: __**W-wow...! Thank you! (God, I'm such a DORK. Like always, the only thing I can think of is 'thank you'.) But seriously! THANKS! And yeah, I can imagine Blood Letter not holding everyone's attention all the time. The pacing, admittedly, was pretty slow at times. Which is something I'm going to try to fix here. And once again, thank you for such a wonderful compliment!**_

_Jo: __**Lol! *bows for the crowd* Thank you! Thank you! I will treasure this cheesy-ending award forever!**_

_Breyannia: __**I honestly don't know if there will be a sequel. I wasn't planning on one but I feel like there could be one if I tried hard enough... I don't know. We'll see, I guess. And I'm glad you liked the story! :D**_

_Angelic915: __**Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed Blood Letter and I hope Venomous is worth the wait!**_

_Jesusfreak: __**Well I'm glad you didn't think the ending was cheesy...even though it pretty much was. XDD Whatever. I'm corny and I'm proud! And that's fine you didn't always review, I understand just not being able to think of something or simply not feeling like it. And I guess you'll just have to wait and find out if you're right about your guess for this fanfic...**_

* * *

On the isle of Berk, most every day is spent beneath a thick layer of grey clouds or within a flurry of white snow. Especially during the winter, when the Viking occupants of the island's village simply content themselves with wrapping up extra tight in their thick, fur clothing and braving the harsh weather. Of course, now that dragons have become a daily part of the Hooligan's lives, _heat_ is a bit easier to come across. But no less necessary.

Which is why, on days when the clouds finally break and the sun's rays are able to grace the tiny village below, the Vikings practically flood the dirt streets outside their homes. Lingering by the Great Hall and dragon pens, where they feed and play with their new companions, their jubilant booming voices so loud they can heard by the smallest of their members as he glides overhead on the back of his jet-black Night Fury...

Hiccup smiles radiantly as he and Toothless arc upward toward the cloudless sky, his dragon's wings twisting in circles through the clear blue. "C'mon, bud!" He shouts over the roar of the wind. "We're headed east today!"

Toothless drones in response, his powerful body rumbling beneath his Rider as he obediently banks to the east. His ears twitch at the sound of paper flapping wildly in the wind. Glancing over his shoulder, he finds his human flattening his father's map of the known Viking world across the saddle in front of him, eyes intent as they flicker over the page.

When Hiccup notices his dragon's curiosity, he smirks. "I finally convinced my Dad to hand it over." He explains proudly, motioning to the map. "Now that the whole issue with the Outcasts and Berserkers is over and the Screaming Death has left the archipelago, we finally have some free time. Might as well use it productively."

His Night Fury switches his attention back to flying but continues to wonder what Hiccup is planning to do with that map. He mentioned they would have more free time to fly now...so does that mean they're going somewhere special? But then Toothless decides it doesn't matter. So long as they're together and they get to fly more often, he's totally fine with it!

Hiccup seems to sense his friend's approval of their little field trip and chuckles to himself before returning to the map, where he's trying to fiddle it into the notches he used to keep his cheat sheet in. The space is a little small but as long as they don't pull too many crazy stunts, it should stay in place... Once it's been secured, he reaches into his vest and fishes for the compass Gobber gave him before they left earlier this morning. It's small and rusty and he's pretty sure it might be slightly less accurate than it probably should be but, in all, it should work.

Lining it up with the pencil lines on the map, he steers Toothless a bit more to their right, bracing himself when the Night Fury's wings bank upward and the two of them almost turn sideways because of it.

"Easy, Toothless." Hiccup says soothingly, patting his friend's side. "Dad'll kill me if I lose this map..."

Toothless coos apologetically and levels off once more. But that's when he tilts his head a little, ears twitching back and forth as he listens to the familiar sound in the distance...

"Hm? What is it, bud?" Hiccup asks him, turning around in the saddle to try and spot what his dragon obviously hears. But he, too, _hears _them before he _sees _them.

"Hiccup!" It's Astrid's voice that catches his attention and he turns in the right direction, waving at his friend as Stormfly picks up the already-feverish pace of vibrantly colored wings.

"Slow down a bit, bud." Hiccup suggests, stroking his Night Fury's side once he and Astrid are flying side by side. "Good morning, m'lady." He greets with a pleasant smile.

The Viking girl smirks back at him and eyes the map curiously, her blonde braid and bangs flying wildly in the rushing air. "And what're you two doing all the way out here?"

Hiccup shrugs and awkwardly shifting his weight in the saddle. "We were just going to do some exploring a little further from the island. Care to join us?"

She arcs an eyebrow, still grinning at him. "Exploring? Sure, I'm in. But...what _exactly_ are you expecting to find out there?"

Her friend shrugs again and starts folding up his father's map, now that he has a sense of direction. "I don't know. That's what exploring is for, I guess: to find out."

Astrid rolls her eyes at his sarcasm and guides Stormfly a little closer to his Night Fury so she can get a peek at the map before he puts it away. Her expression suddenly turns thoughtful, almost dreamy, when she says, "Imagine how many species of dragons there must be out there... I mean, just in last few months we've discovered _tons_ of new kinds...and that was without even leaving the archipelago."

Hiccup stares at her distant gaze for a moment, remembering how many times he's wondered exactly that. "I don't know." He admits. Then, finally stuffing the map back into his vest, he faces forward again and offers her a challenging grin. "But we certainly won't find out by flying around the same spot forever."

Astrid seems to agree with him, having snapped out of her reverie. "Then let's get going." She decides. "We've got seven generations worth of information to compensate for!"

Hiccup chuckles at her as they speed up, the two dragons and their Riders leaving Berk far behind as they begin to glide over long-forgotten waters, glittering waves lapping at the bases of nearby sea stacks. However, the further they fly, those same rock towers seem to wider and wider apart...leaving nothing but open ocean and sea dragons below them.

* * *

An hour passes, then another. The sun glares down over them, its rays feeling hotter than either teen can ever remember. Eventually, Hiccup shrugs off his vest and stuffs it into his satchel, determined not to let something like a little heat ruin their flight. Besides, the dragons don't seem to mind. And neither does Astrid, for that matter. Then again, without her shoulder guards -which she shed long ago- she's actually wearing a very light outfit, well-suited for such a heat wave.

She seems to notice him staring and offers Hiccup a quizzical smirk. "How are you holding up over there, Long-Sleeves?"

He chuckles at her joke and shakes his head. "Uh, a little..._toasty_. But fine otherwise. You?"

She shrugs. "Toasty's a pretty accurate word..."

They both laugh at their predicament and then Hiccup suggests that maybe they should find a place to land and cool off before they head back. "I want to add something to this map, anyway and I can't do that while I'm flying."

Astrid blinks in surprise. "You want to change the map? Don't you think your dad will get angry if you do that...?"

Hiccup shakes his head, seeming sure of himself. "I won't change it, just add pieces. I'll take some pages from my notebook and attach it to the sides or something..."

"Alright, if you say so." And so the two Riders start looking for a good place to land. So far, all they've seen is little half-submerged sandbars or tiny piles of rock jutting out of the water. Not exactly optimal places to rest...

That is, until Astrid spots something in the distance. "Hey, look! Sea stacks!"

Hiccup leans forward in the saddle, squinting through the sun and glaring water to see what she's pointing at. Surely enough, there is a group of about a dozen or so rocky towers standing proudly out of the sea, gleaming green with moss and little bursts of grass. He looks over at her and nods approvingly. "We can cool down there and then head back once we're feeling up to it."

And moments later, Stormfly and Toothless are flapping down onto the tops of the largest sea stack. Their Riders slide down onto the slippery ground and stretch their legs as Hiccup fishes through his satchel for the map and his notebook, which he tears a page out of and taps his chin contemplatively, trying to recall everything they saw as they flew past.

He makes a quick sketch with his charcoal pencil before sliding it back into the cover of the book so he can paste it onto the actual map later.

"Hiccup, look!" Astrid gasps as she rushes to the edge of the stack, pointing an excited finger out across the water. "Are those Scauldrons?!"

He hurries over to join her, curious what she's talking about. A small gasp escapes his lips at what he sees below.

The ocean beneath them is practically roiling with fins and wings. They spot flashes of blue, green, grey, even white as the pod of Scauldrons dance through the water, spraying their mist and hot steam into the air. The high-pitched squeal of their calls suddenly breaks the air as a handful of them dive out of the sea, instantly fanning open their wings and rocketing straight up into the sky!

They bypass Astrid and Hiccup without a second thought, not sensing them as a threat, and simply disappear into the clouds as if they, too, were waves and water.

"Wow..." Hiccup breathes as he stares up into the sky and then back down to the ocean, where more of the sea-dwelling dragons are passing by. "Have you ever seen a Scauldron act like that?"

"Never..." Astrid assures in a voice of awe that matches his own. When she looks over at him, she finds his green eyes alight with fascination. What he says next doesn't surprise her in the least.

"We need to keep doing this..." He mutters, referring to their exploration. "Just a few hours and we've _already _seen dragon behavior no one has ever found before!"

Astrid smiles at him in amusement. "On the other hand, the Book of Dragons will be overflowing in no time if this keeps up..."

Hiccup glances up and meets her eyes, his lips tugging up in a knowing smirk. He opens his mouth to say something but is cut off when one of the Scauldrons explodes out of the sea and up into the sky, the water that clings to its scales dumping over the sea stack and drenching the two Riders so suddenly that they both cry out in surprise.

Dripping wet and shocked, Hiccup and Astrid just stare at each other for a moment before bursting into laughter. "Well! I think we're cooled down now!" He exclaims, shaking the moisture from his arm.

"Definitely." She agrees as she wrings out her braid.

Toothless waddles over and sniffs Hiccup curiously, his nose wrinkling up as if he's grossed out by the smell. Stormfly, too, squawks and flaps her wings, seeming flustered.

"What's the matter, girl?" Astrid asks as she reaches out to soothe the Nadder, her brow drawn in concern. "We don't smell that bad, do we?" She looks questioningly at Hiccup, who shrugs in reply from where he's also stroking Toothless's neck.

"Wet-human smell, maybe?" He jokes weakly.

Astrid rolls her eyes and is about to call him out on his poor sense of humor when Stormfly suddenly lurches away from her and snaps open her wings, shrieking in terror. The Nadder's yellow eyes are focused intently on the ground a few feet behind Hiccup... Turning, Astrid finds the source of her dragon's distress.

And it comes in the form of a tiny, orange-yellow dragon that seems to be only slightly bigger than a Fireworm. The peculiar creature tilts its tiny head at Astrid and squeaks, its little wings flapping as it fearlessly, curiously advances on them. And in turn, both Toothless and Stormfly roar in fear and scramble away, seemingly petrified of the thing.

"What...is that thing?" Hiccup wonders as he stares at the dragon.

"I have no idea." Astrid admits. "I've never seen this species before."

"Neither have I...I don't think it's in the Book of Dragons." Hiccup remarks as he takes a little, cautious step toward it, earning him an outraged cry from his dragon.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" Astrid barks. "We have no idea what that thing is capable of!"

And Hiccup pauses. Toothless definitely seems afraid of this thing...so maybe he _should_ stay away. But before he gets the chance to move, the tiny dragon leaps into the air, its wings beating so quickly they actually buzz. Like a honeybee or a wasp. It flies toward him so suddenly that Toothless hisses and bears his fangs, trying to curl his body around his Rider to protect him.

But the little creature doesn't appear to want trouble... It hovers about a foot in front of Hiccup's face and tilts its head at him, appearing to survey him and his Night Fury before releasing a tiny squeak-sound, which Toothless replies to with a harsh growl.

"It doesn't seem very aggressive..." Hiccup comments.

"But it doesn't look scared either. And Toothless is much larger than it is." Astrid retorts, although she has to admit it doesn't seem dangerous anymore. Even though the dragons are still beside themselves with fear. "Why do you think Toothless and Stormfly are so afraid of it?"

"No clue." Hiccup suddenly smirks when the little dragon's flight pattern becomes clumsy as a breeze brushes past them and it tumbles to the ground once more, landing heavily on its bottom and shaking its head. With a chuckle, he steps away from Toothless and kneels in front of the other dragon, earning him a horrified stare from his Night Fury. "Look at that!" Hiccup says, pointing to its feet. "No claws."

"And it's so small." Astrid adds. "How does it defend itself?"

"I'm not sure." The boy gasps quietly when the little thing suddenly scurries up his outstretched hand, coming to a stop on his wrist. It squeaks at him and flaps its wings, earning a giggle from him. "Seems harmless to me!" When he looks over, he finds Astrid smirking at him. "What?" He asks, referring to her amused look.

But she only shrugs and strolls over to his disgruntled Night Fury and soothingly pets Toothless's side. "See, Toothless? That little dragon isn't a threat." Of course, the only response she gets from him is another series of angry drones and a very dark glare.

Hiccup smiles apologetically at his friend, remembering that Toothless can be very overprotective of him. "Sorry, bud." He says, gently removing the tinier creature from his hand and standing up. "Do you want to go?"

Toothless roars his confirmation before stomping over to Hiccup and biting his tunic. With a single yank of his powerful neck, he practically tosses the boy onto his back and storms over to the edge of the sea stack, eager to leave this dangerous place.

Hiccup steals a confused look back at Astrid, who simply shrugs again in response. She mounts Stormfly and guides her Nadder to the edge as well. Together, they take off back in the direction of Berk, content they've left that oddity behind.

"We'll come back later." Hiccup tells Astrid once they're far enough away. "I want to at least get a sketch of that thing for the Book of Dragons. But for now..." He motions to Toothless, who is still acting a bit nervous. "I think we should let him calm down."

She nods in agreement of the plan but is also silently eager to learn more about that dragon. It just seemed so docile. It's a shame they had to leave so soon...

But as both Riders glide off toward home, they neglect to notice the tiny, pink bump that has appeared on Hiccup's wrist, just below the cuff of his sleeve...

* * *

_**A/N: Thanks for reading and don't forget: I love REVIEWS!**_

_**PS, for anyone who has read the HTTYD books and figured out what dragon that is: yes, I've changed some details about it and more changes will come later. (Simply for originality/time's sake)**_


	2. Afflicted

_**Chapter Two**_

_**A/N: I'm trying to keep the chapters longer than usual. The first one was 3,000 words! (I'm so proud! XD)**_

_**In response to... (AH! I forgot to post the responses to these when I first updated! Sorry!)**_

_Slowpoke09: **Thanks! I'm glad you like it so far! And you'll find out about that soon.**_

_Snowflake: **Thanks :D**_

_mistyElk0: **Yup, I loved that dragon too XD And no, I'm changing the antidote for originality's sake.**_

_GuardianDragon98: **You would be right about that XD**_

_InfinituimAce: **Then you're in for a surprise since you never read the books! :)**_

_XxPinkMustachexX: **Then maybe you've heard of this dragon...we'll see I guess :D**_

_RazzlePazzleDooDot: **Lol, yes. Yes it is! And yes, there will also be a bit of angst at times XDD And that's fine, I understand not reviewing all the time. (And yay! I'm glad you like my map-headcanon/bridge to HTTYD2) Thanks!**_

_Jesusfreak: **Yay, I'm glad you like it! :D And yeah, Hiccup's gonna be in some trouble later...**_

_shadowxxx: **Thanks :)**_

_pulpfictivn: **Thanks :D And YEAH! HTTYD 2! XD**_

_Foxlight The Dragon Trainer: **Thank ya' :)) I also love the books, they're so quirky and...oddly dark XD **_

* * *

Columns of light gleam down on Berk through the sparse, gathering clouds that now hang low in the sky. As Hiccup steers Toothless toward the village and they dive through those puffy, white veils, he finds himself frowning slightly. _Looks like it's going to snow tomorrow... I guess more than one day of nice weather is too much to ask._ For probably the hundredth time during their return flight, Hiccup absently reaches over to scratch his itchy wrist. The skin there is red and stings slightly but he thinks nothing of it, passing the blame to allergies or his scratchy tunic just irritating his skin as it sometimes does. Especially in the heat.

Within a few seconds, he and Astrid are landing in the village square and Hiccup slides off the saddle but remains standing beside his dragon, a pleasant smile on his freckled face as he regards Astrid. "I should get Nervous Norbert here something to eat." He chuckles, nodding his head toward Toothless. But the Night Fury only drones unhappily and folds back his ears, glaring at Hiccup for the insinuation that his fear had been anything but necessary.

But Astrid only laughs. "Alright, I'll see you two later for training. I've gotta go track down some chicken for Stormfly." And with that, she and her Nadder turn and stroll off toward the dragon's stall, leaving Hiccup and Toothless in the plaza.

The boy's lips are still set in a dopey smile as he watches her go, but is quickly snapped out of his daydream by a quick swipe of his dragon's tail to the side of his head. Hiccup yelps in surprise and rubs his head. "Hey! What was that for?!"

Toothless growls and glares at him, his drones turning to grumpy chatters.

His Rider stares at him and folds his arms, a deep frown on his face. "I said I was sorry." He reminds the Night Fury. "Why're you still so upset about this?"

But of course his dragon can't answer his question. So instead, Toothless merely hisses and narrows his eyes, tossing his head in the direction of the sea stacks where they found that strange, little..._thing_. Hiccup had said he wanted to go back later! But no way is Toothless _ever _taking him there again! That thing is dangerous, he can tell!

"Okay, okay..." Hiccup sighs as he motions with his hands for Toothless to calm down. "If it's really worrying you that much, I won't make you go back out there." When Toothless tilts his head and his pupils dilate again, Hiccup smiles. "Happy?"

The Night Fury snorts and straightens up from his tense position, his throat rumbling with purrs as he nods his reptilian head. Then, before his human can say anymore, he pounces forward and drags a big, sloppy lick up the boy's cheek.

Shivers wrack Hiccup's body and he grimaces, pulling away from Toothless. "Uhh...thanks...bud." He shudders again and wipes the drool from his cheek with the end of his sleeve. However...it's while his arm is at eye-level that he notices... "Woah!" Hiccup gasps, brushing his sleeve up to gape at the purple-ish-blue bruise that has begun to dominate a spot on his wrist about an inch wide... The skin there is warm to the touch and stings a bit.

Toothless sees his friend's distress and moves closer, eyeing up the discoloration with a suspicious eye. He's seen that color many times on dragons before...but never on a human. And Hiccup seems disturbed by its presence. What is it, he wonders. Turning his head a bit, Toothless coos comfortingly at Hiccup, who tugs his sleeve back down and shakes his head.

"It's nothing, buddy." He assures his dragon. "Just an allergic reaction. I get lots of those in the heat." He smiles again and motions for Toothless to follow him. "After we get something for you to eat, I'll just head over to Gothi and get something to treat it." With that, he turns and starts walking in the direction of the Great Hall.

But Toothless hesitates for a moment. His ears twitch and his eyes go narrow when it occurs to him.

Is it just him...or is Hiccup's heart beating just a _little _too fast?

* * *

Once Toothless finishes eating his barrel of cod, he and his Rider stroll out of the Great Hall and the Night Fury immediately turns in the direction of Gothi's hillside hut, remembering that's where Hiccup had wanted to go before. However, his human stops him.

"Hang on, Toothless. It's getting pretty late, we need to get to the Academy for training." Hiccup says, earning him an annoyed look from his dragon. "What?" The boy demands.

Toothless glares down at his wrist and then back up into the Viking's eyes, reminding him of his..._allergic reaction_. Which, by now, Toothless is seriously beginning to doubt is just that. He's seen these bouts of itchiness and sneezing before and it's nothing like this! Plus, he's pretty sure the bruise has gotten a bit bigger over the last half hour and Hiccup seems to be fidgeting with it more.

"Tooth-less!" Hiccup protests. "I know it _looks_ bad but it doesn't even itch anymore. Besides," He lowers his voice and leans in slightly to keep this between he and his dragon. "With the heat wave, the other Riders are gonna be pretty testy with each other. Who knows what might happen if they're left alone for too long...?"

And that, Toothless has to agree with. His human's friends can be a little...hazardous to be around on a _normal_ day. But when they're hot, sweaty, and irritated...it could put the whole village in danger! So with a frustrated grunt, Toothless bows his head so Hiccup can climb on. It'll be faster if they fly to the Academy...

"Thanks for understanding, bud." Hiccup says softly as he climbs on, snapping his feet into the controls. "Now, let's go!"

* * *

"UGH! Where's Hiccup?!" Snotlout barks angrily. The loud boy is seated on the floor of the Academy, his beefy arms folded across his chest as he leans against Hookfang's belly with a scowl on his face. "You know, for someone who always preaches responsibility, he sure is late a lot!"

But no one bothers to answer him. Everyone else is clustered in the center of the Academy, buzzing excitedly at the news that just reached them a few minutes before. "Trader Johann is coming early, I'm so excited!" Fishlegs cheers.

"Yeah! Maybe he'll have some new _weapons_ for us!" Tuff suggests as he glances sideways at his sister. Ruffnut's lips spread into a wicked grin and they bash their helmets together, giggling darkly.

"I can almost taste the mayhem...!" Ruff snickers.

Astrid shakes her head at their craving for destruction and chaos but also finds herself hoping Johann will have some new weaponry, as he often does. Not that the Hooligans really use them very often anymore since the Berserkers and the Outcasts are no longer their enemies. But it's still nice to have a few spare axes laying around. Just in case.

It's at that moment that a shadow passes above the Academy, coupled with a very familiar shriek. All the teens glance up to see Toothless landing atop the cross-sectioned roof of the Academy. Hiccup leans over and waves at them as his dragon crawls upside down like a bat through the hole above them before dropping to the floor with a muted thump.

Snotlout narrows his eyes at his cousin before snorting and turning away. He mumbles something like, "Show off..." under his breath before standing up.

"Sorry I'm late, guys." He says as he unstraps himself from the saddle, suddenly very conscious of his desire to keep his sleeve covering the ugly bruise on his wrist. No point in freaking anyone out, especially since he's going to visit Gothi right after training. "But we can get started as soon as-" However, he's cut off when Fishlegs suddenly shoves his way through the other teens and smiles at his friend.

"Did you hear, Hiccup?! Trader Johann is coming early this month! Mulch said he saw his ship only a few miles out! He should be here any minute!" The chubby boy exclaims, literally bouncing with excitement.

Hiccup seems taken aback but grins. "Really? No, I hadn't heard."

And that's when Ruff and Tuff push Fishlegs out of the way and crowd very close to their 'leader'. "Hey! Hey! If Johann has another catapult, can we bring it to the Academy?!"

But Hiccup only scowls at them and folds his arms. "Guys. You remember what my dad said last time. No more catapults!"

Both twins groan and roll their eyes. "Oh come on! It's not like we _actually_ broke your arm! It was just a sprain!"

"Yeah, not helping your case." Hiccup grumbles as he scowls at them. He's about to tell them one more, solid 'no' just to make sure they understand when Gustav suddenly bursts into the Arena. He's panting heavily and his helmet is crooked, as if he's run all the way here.

"Trader Johann is here!" He announces loudly, instantly drawing everyone attention. Even the dragons lift their leads and turn to look at him.

Then, Hiccup gasps as Meatlug, Hookfang, Barf and Belch go rocketing past him toward the exit in the blink of an eye. Their Riders desperately clinging to their backs as they urge their dragons to hurry so they won't miss anything. No sooner than they clear the door frame, all three dragons leap into the sky and furiously fly in the direction of the docks. Leaving only Hiccup and Astrid standing inside, alongside Toothless and Stormfly.

"For the love of Thor..." Astrid sighs. "You'd think the world is going to end by the way they're acting..."

And Hiccup shrugs as they calmly start walking outside. "They're excited, I guess." He says. "It's not everyday Trader Johann visits, let alone visits early."

"Yeah, but I still think..." However, Astrid trails off as her expression turns to one of bewilderment. "Hiccup!" She gasps, reaching down to where he'd been absently fidgeting with his bruised wrist. She rolls up his sleeve to reveal the purple mark, which is now laced with red as well. And against the coolness of her hands, his skin suddenly feels like it's on fire in comparison. "What in Odin's name happened?!"

"Uhh..." He begins weakly, pulling his hand away. "Nothing...it's just some kind of allergic reaction...or I thought so..." But for the first time, he has to admit it doesn't look right. How could it get so much worse in a matter of minutes? He flexes his fingers, feeling a pang of fear when he realizes the very tips of his fingers are a bit...tingly. Like there are pins and needles stabbing them.

"An allergic reaction?" Astrid echos in disbelief. "Hiccup, even if this is a reaction to something, it's a bad one! This kind of bruising is serious!" She suddenly frowns as she reaches for his arm again, her cool fingers brushing his feverish skin. "You need to get Gothi to look at this."

"A-and I will." He assures her as he, once again, draws his arm back. "As soon as we're done at Johann's..."

She glares at him and plants her hands on her hips. "Hiccup!"

"Think about it, Astrid." He interrupts. "My dad'll be there. If I don't show up, he'll just get worried. _Especially_ if you tell him I had to go see Gothi! I'll even show him the bruise and see what he thinks of it."

She continues to frown at him but nods her head, liking the idea of Stoick knowing about his son's affliction. "Alright. But only if you show your dad."

"I will." And with that, they both mount their dragons and fly off toward the docks. As they climb higher into the sky, Hiccup flexes his fingers again. The pins and needles are still there. And...it might just be his paranoia...but has the feeling gotten stronger? He's sure it wasn't this noticeable before... _Hopefully, Dad or Gothi will know what this is. If not... _But Hiccup simply pushes that thought away. Of course they'll know what it is. And it's probably something simple like he thought.

But lingering there, in the back of his mind, is that cruel little voice that likes to show up at moments like these. And it asks him, _But what if it's not so simple?_

* * *

_**A/N: Pretty ironic that I'm writing this whilst being sick myself. Ugh! Colds are the worst! -_-**_


	3. The Venomous Vorpent

_**Chapter Three**_

_**A/N: In response to...**_

_samsamwww: **Okay :D *updates* XD**_

_Jesusfreak: **OH MY GOD, THANK YOU! YOU SAVED THE DAY! I totally forgot to put the responses to reviews in the last chapter! AHH! I blame my cold for my forgetfulness! D:**_

_XxPinkMustachexX: **I'm just gonna go ahead and say you should definitely finish the books you bought. The series only gets better the more you read, but keep in mind it IS a "kid's book" so a lot of it is rather juvenile. Other things, however, are...pretty stinking dark actually. Especially when you get to later books like 9, 10, and 11... Like seriously, WOW. Not a kid's book anymore! XD**_

_Snowflake: **Thanks :) But you know, being sick is almost an inspiration for this story XD Hiccup and I can be miserable together! LOL**_

_InfinituimAce: **Yeah, I had to change a lot about the illness itself because, in the books, it's a time-delayed thing. Taking MONTHS to kill its victims or even make them feel queasy. And since this fanfiction simply can't cover that amount of time, I shortened the length of the illness and made up for the loss in the actual misery of the poisoning... XD Fun, right? In the books, though, the only two symptoms are heat flashes and numbness...you can see the difference here. And yes. Irony sucks. I hate being sick. -_-**_

_midnightsky0612: **I don't know... *evil grin* I guess we'll see...**_

_TheGallopingCupcake: **Lol, I'll glad you like it! :D (And your username is incredible, btw XD)**_

* * *

The clunk of a metal prosthetic on the wooden gangway of Johann's ship is the first thing to clue Stoick in that his son has finally arrived. He turns with a pleasant smile on his bearded face to greet his son. "Ah, there you are Hiccup!" He booms happily, momentarily oblivious to his boy's concerned expression. "I was wondering when you'd get the news that Johann's here!"

And while Hiccup obviously starts to respond to his father's joking manner, Astrid speaks first. In a tone nothing less than commanding, she say, "Sir, Hiccup has something he needs to show you."

The Chief pauses, his eyebrow arching at the girl's firmness. "What is it?" He asks, looking at Hiccup. "Has something happened with the dragons?"

"Um, n-no...not exactly." His son murmurs, glancing pleadingly at Astrid. He's not sure why but he feels..._odd_ telling his father about this all of a sudden. Vikings aren't supposed to get sick or admit weakness. And while he isn't exactly _sick_, there is definitely something wrong here.

Clearly, Astrid can sense his discomfort and motions for Stoick to follow them off the ship. They are standing a good distance from the gangway before she gestures to Hiccup again.

With a grimace, he rolls up his sleeve to show his father the bruise. And Stoick's eyes instantly grow wider than Hiccup ever recalls them being before.

"Hiccup...!" His father gasps, reaching out to grasp his son's arm and turn his wrist over so he can see the mark more clearly. The skin there is burning hot and the previously purple-ish coloration has taken on a more dominantly red shade. But what's more...there's been a new development in the last few minutes as well. At the very edges of the bruise, Hiccup's skin has gone utterly grey. His veins are perfectly visible but look much too dark.

All three of them gape at this disturbing image for a moment before Stoick releases his son's arm and urgently asks, "How long has that been there?"

"Uh," Hiccup shakes himself to snap out of the shock he's now feeling. This is all happening so fast! "It showed up just this morning..."

"All of this happened within half a day?!" Stoick's face looks ghostly, as if this news has chilled him to the very core.

Hiccup nods almost timidly but he's suddenly distracted by another wave of the pinpricks that assault his fingers. Except now, the sensation has spread up to his knuckles and almost into his palm. "Dad?" He asks as he tries to rub the feeling away with his other hand. "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong?!" Stoick echos, his tone dark. "That bruise does not look good. And for it to be like that in only a few hours...?" He shakes his head and then places a hand in the center of Hiccup's back and starts guiding him toward the village. "Come on, I'm taking you to see Gothi about this."

_So he doesn't know... _Hiccup decides. _Somehow, I don't think that's a good thing._ But he obediently stumbles along beside his father. That is, until Trader Johann's voice rings out behind them.

"Leaving already, Master Hiccup? You haven't even said hello yet!" His voice is light and joking but his eyes search the boy's pale face questioningly. He can tell something's not right.

"Um, sorry." Hiccup calls back as his father continues pulling him along. "I'll come by later, I promise."

But apparently that's not enough for Johann. The bearded merchant effortlessly springs over the side of his ship and onto the docks. He strides over to where Hiccup is now trying to roll down his sleeve but stops the boy, his dark eyes scanning the bruise on his arm.

"Uhh...Joahnn, I wouldn't...I mean, we don't know if it's-"

"It's not contagious." The man interrupts Hiccup's nervous stammers. "Although it is dangerous."

Suddenly, both Hiccup and Stoick go stiff. "You know what it is?" They both ask.

"Why yes." He replies smoothly. "I've seen this bite many times in my travels."

"Bite?" Stoick questions. "What kind of bite?"

Hiccup looks down, his brow knotting. When could he have gotten bitten by something that could cause..._this_?

"A dragon bite!" Johann says, waving his arms dramatically. Then, he grabs Hiccup's wrist and holds it up for Stoick to see. "This is the mark of the _Venomous Vorpent_! I'd recognize it anywhere!"

Stoick's expression darkens again and firmly takes Johann's shoulder. "What is this dragon? Why have I never heard of it?"

The merchant shrugs almost casually, as if Hiccup's ailment is nothing more than the common cold. "Probably because the Venomous Vorpent isn't native to Berk. The closest nest I've seen is days away by boat...among some sea stacks."

Immediately, the image of a tiny, yellow dragon floats to the forefront of Hiccup's mind and his stomach twists in realization. That thing he and Astrid found...was a Venomous Vorpent? But then, his eyes grow wide with horror. He wasn't the only one at the nest...

"You said it's called a _Venomous_ Vorpent? So my son has been poisoned by it?" Stoick clarifies, earning a nod from Johann. "How...how bad is it?"

Both men are so wrapped up in their conversation that neither notices when Hiccup quietly slips away and sprints back to the ship, his green eyes frantically searching for Astrid. He hadn't even noticed the thing biting him so it's possible she wouldn't either.

"Astrid!" He hisses as he gets closer, grabbing her arm so she turns to face him.

"Hiccup?" She scans his wide-eyed expression with a look of suspicion. "What's wrong?"

"Trader Johann knows what this is," He says motioning to his wrist. "And I think it's a bite from that little dragon we found out in the sea stacks!"

She gasps. "What? Why? What did Johann say?"

Her friend seems oddly shaken as his eyes seem to search every inch of her exposed skin, making her shift her weight awkwardly and blush a bit. Why is he looking at her like that? "He said it's called a Venomous Vorpent and it injected me with some kind of poison..."

"Oh gods..." She breathes, covering her mouth with her hand. "Is it bad?"

"I...I don't know." Hiccup admits. "I left before they finished talking. Listen," He glances over his shoulder at the sound of Stoick calling his name. "I didn't feel it bite me so it could have gotten you too."

Astrid's brow knots and she frowns. "But I didn't even get close to it."

"I know." He says slowly. "But please, just...make _sure_ you didn't."

"Hiccup!" Stoick shouts again, drawing his son's attention once more. But the boy turns back toward Astrid one last time and gives her a meaningful look.

"I'd better go find out what's going on." He mutters. "Please just make sure it didn't bite you."

She nods. "I will...as soon as I get home."

"Good." He offers her a half-hearted smile before turning toward his dad. "I'm gonna go see what the verdict is." And then he jogs back down the ramp to where his father and Johann are waiting.

"What're you doing running off at a time like this?" Stoick grumbles as soon as Hiccup is beside him again. However, there's a strange look in his eyes as he watches his son...

"Uh, sorry." Hiccup mutters. "I needed to tell Astrid something." And then he folds his arms over his stomach and waits to hear what the two men have to say about this alleged poison. Surely, it's nothing serious or his father would already be dragging him to Gothi.

"Master Hiccup," Johann begins. Which is strange...wouldn't his dad want to tell him this? "A bite from the Venomous Vorpent is very dangerous business, as I mentioned earlier. It's not like some poisons that can kill in a matter of hours. Vorpentitis, as it's called, can take days. Sometimes even weeks to kill its victims."

And Hiccup goes slightly pale. "But it _is_ deadly..." He mumbles quietly.

"Yes, it can be if left untreated." The merchant sighs. "And the illness itself is just as unpredictable. The symptoms of Vorpentitis can be so subtle they're not even noticable...or as ugly as the bite itself."

With a grimace, Hiccup moves his other hand to cover the bruising. What is Johann saying? Does he really need to be so cryptic about everything? But both he and his father are acting very calm about all this.

"Don't worry, son." Stoick cuts in as he pats his child's back. "Johann has assured me there's a cure."

"Ah, yes there is!" The trader suddenly booms. "A cure that I can get my hands on with relative ease!" He moves closer as if this is a huge secret and cracks a grin. "The cure for Vorpentitis is the rare bloom called a Basilisk Lily!"

"Basilisk Lily?" Hiccup repeats with the arc of an eyebrow. "I've never heard of it."

"That's because, like the Vorpent itself, it doesn't grow on Berk...or really anywhere near here. In fact, in all my travels, I've only ever seen it growing in one spot! Almost...five days from here by boat!"

Stoick, who obviously hasn't heard this part, suddenly goes red in the face. "And that's the good news?" He growls. "It's five days away?! Didn't you say you could get it easily?!"

"Um, why yes, Stoick." Johann takes a step back, intimidated by the towering figure of Berk's Chief. "I can get it without much difficulty...but it will take time."

"But the poison could-"

"Okay, okay!" Hiccup interrupts, squeezing in between his furious father and the nervous merchant. "That's fine, Johann. I'll be fine. Just...go find this lily as soon as you can."

Stoick backs off, realizing how much of scene he's making, but still frowns tightly when he grumbles, "Right, yes...go find the cure. _Immediately_."

Johann nods and starts backing toward his ship. He offers a weak smile to Hiccup and Stoick when he says, "I'll be back as fast as this ship will carry me!"

"Hang on a moment." Stoick barges forward once again, looking thoughtful all of a sudden. His gaze drifts to the merchant's ship and settles on a burly teenager standing among the weapons racks, his Monstrous Nightmare lingering very close by. "It would take five days by ship...but no where near that time by _dragon_..."

Johann freezes, his eyes narrowing. "By dragon?" He turns and follows Stoick's gaze to where Snotlout is standing. His expression instantly sours. "Him?! You want me to trust him?! The same brat who abandoned me after I was attacked by a Fog Monster?!"

Stoick glares at Johann and curtly nods his head. "Yes, I do. Snotlout's dragon is fast and can take you the distance a ship would spend five days traveling in half the time!"

"But...what about one of the other Riders?" The merchant whimpers. "Why him?"

Hiccup watches with a surprised look on his face when his father grabs Johann's shoulder and pulls him in for a 'private' conversation. "You need speed, which rules out Fishlegs and Meatlug. The twins can be...loose cannons and I need someone slightly reliable. And Astrid..." He glances up at the girl who is just now disappearing into the village. "...if Hiccup is going to only get worse, as you say, I'll need someone here who can handle the dragons. And Astrid's the best I've got in that case."

So Johann pouts in defeat and looks acidly at Snotlout. "Fine..." He grumbles. "I'll go with the pig-headed boy with the big nose."

"Thank you, Johann." Stoick says, patting the other man's shoulder. "You're saving my son's life by doing this."

"Yes, yes...I'll do it for Master Hiccup's sake." And with that, he shuffles up the gangway and picks up a heavy, metal shield and a wooden paddle. Drawing back his arm, he bashes the two objects together as hard as he can.

_CRASH!_

All eyes turn toward the merchant, who suddenly looks very grumpy. "Alright, everyone! Shop's closed! I've got to go on a little...emergency errand for your beloved Chief."

An unhappy rumble goes through the crowd as everyone starts moving off the boat.

"All except you, Snotlout." Johann growls. "You're going with me."

"What?" The boy demands.

As Trader Johann explains the urgent situation to Snotlout, Stoick ushers Hiccup back toward the village.

"Where are we going?" His son asks distantly. His thoughts are still on his partially numb fingers and the likelihood of his oncoming death...

"I know Johann said this flower is the only cure...but I'm still taking you to see Gothi. She's older than all of us, she might know _something_."

"Okay..." Hiccup mutters, his mind still a million miles away. "Say, Dad...?"

"Hm?" His father glance down at him while they continue walking.

"Did Johann mention the symptoms of this...Vorpentitis?"

Stoick pauses and stares quizzically at his son before nodding his head. "He mentioned _bruising_..." Hiccup's father arcs an eyebrow knowingly at the boy's wrist. "...light-headedness, fever, numbness...fainting and..." But Stoick refuses to go on to the last stage of the poisoning, even when Hiccup tilts his head and motions for him to continue, Stoick just assures him it's not important.

But despite not being told out loud, his dad's reluctance to speak is enough confirmation. The last stage...is death. And it could come for Hiccup at any time within the coming days... And unless Gothi has some miracle antidote that no one knows about, Hiccup is at the illness's mercy until Trader Johann and Snotlout return with the cure.

* * *

_**A/N: So yeah, I've changed some details from the book series' Vorpentitis...and by some, I mean most. XD But you know, fanfictions. And originility...and time and whatnot. Plus, the cure being a potato is rather silly in my opinion so I changed that as well XD. Thanks for reading and don't forget to REVIEW! :D**_


	4. Vorpentitis

_**Chapter Four**_

_**A/N: I apologize for how shaky the beginning of this chapter sounds. It straightens out later though. :)**_

_**In response to...**_

mistyElk0: **Yeah...I always thought the whole ordeal with the potato was a little silly in that book. Plus, they said it ONLY grows in America...which is VERY wrong. XD And yes, there are a few symptoms I left out (like weight loss) because they wouldn't make sense in such a short time frame.**

GuardianDragon98: **Not only is Snotlout pretty unreliable, Johann's kind of a chatter-box which could potentially be quite the distraction... So yes, it should be interesting to see how they get along together.**

InfinitiumAce: **I'm...actually not entirely sure what you mean. o_o Johann's not even in the first paragraph... *confused sounds* But sorry for not explaining well enough, I guess. e_e XD And no, the Venomous Vorpent is from the 4th book (called How To Cheat A Dragon's Curse) :)**

johnriley245: **Yup, in the book it IS a potato but I changed it here for the aformentioned reasons. :)**

samsamwww: **Uhh...they don't really get anymore 'historically accurate' because later in the series (I've read all of them to date) they kind of deter from actual history and pay more attention to the actual lore of the series but that only makes them more interesting, in my opinion. :) And yeah, acutally there will be one outburst of slight violence in the coming chapters so stay tuned on that! Also...PAPA-BEAR STOICK! XDDD That's so cute!**

Jesusfreak: **Actually, it won't be taking the whole five days because they're using a dragon. But...I won't say anymore on that. You'll just have to wait and see if they get delayed or not...**

Blue - The First Traveller:** Yay! I am now Leisa: Reigniter of Passions! XD Excellent... *evil laugh* Anyway...I'm glad you're liking it so far! :D**

XxPinkMustachexX: **Happy memorial day to you too! :D And yeah, I can understand that assumption. Things usually don't go very smooth when Snotlout's involved. XD**

TheGallopingCupcake: **Thanks :) I thought it'd be a nice change since a lot of people have read the books and it wouldn't be much of a surprise for them. (Plus about a million other reasons) XD****  
**

Snowflake: **You're probably right. The Terrible Terror might be a bit more predictable, at least. XD**

Nightfury101/Guest: **Yay, thanks! :D I'm glad you like it so far and don't worry about it, I don't think you're a psycho. Or if you are, I am too because I also get a weird enjoyment out of that. XDD And thanks again! I always get a little worried about how I'm portraying everyone's personalities so it's a relief to hear when people think I'm doing it well! **

* * *

"Lad,"

Hiccup glances over his shoulder at Gobber. The Blacksmith is following he, Stoick and Toothless up the steep hill to Gothi's hut. His mentor smiles supportively at him and whispers when he says,

"Don't look so worried. Johann and Snotlout will return with the cure by tomorrow afternoon." He assures him. "That is, as long as Gothi doesn't beat them to it." Gobber winks knowingly at Hiccup, trying to make him feel better. And while his friend's son offers a small smile in return, he doesn't mean it.

It's not that Hiccup necessarily thinks he's going to _die_... He's just scared is all. Who wouldn't be? But he's positive Johann and Snotlout will come through in the end.

..._Johann_ and _Snotlout_...

His _life _rests in the hands of the chatty, absent-minded merchant and his arrogant, loud-mouthed, loose cannon cousin...

...Great.

By now, they've almost reached the top of the hill where the village elder lives. If anyone on the island of Berk knows how to cure Hiccup's ailment, it will be her! So Stoick urges Hiccup and Gobber to hurry up and both of them obey. They're all eager to hear what the medicine woman has to say...but it seems the closer they get to the old woman's home, the more Hiccup's heart begins to flutter nervously, which draws the attention of his Night Fury.

A small whining sounds in Toothless's throat when he picks up how frightened his young Rider is. Gods, why didn't he just kill that nasty little vermin when he first saw it? If he had, maybe Hiccup wouldn't be so terrified now. If he had...maybe he wouldn't already be able to hear the irregular flutters of the boy's heart or the slight rattling of his breaths in his lungs.

Hiccup is sick. He may not exactly feel it yet but he's a very, _very_ sick boy... And it's only a matter of time until his body catches up with him. Even now, when he's only just become infected with Vorpentitis -the illness even dragons are scared to death of- he's already favoring that right arm of his. The bruise looks quite painful even though it's most certainly numb...and Toothless's whimpering turns to frustrated growls.

This isn't fair! He's supposed to be able to protect his human from anything! And, under normal circumstances, he can. Any enemy; dragon, human, animal or otherwise, Toothless can fight off with claws or fire. That, or simply fly away with Hiccup to a safer place. But poison? That's the one thing he simply can't...protect Hiccup from.

Hiccup could _die_...and there's nothing he can do. There's nothing _anyone _can do until Johann and Snotlout get back with the cure. And that's assuming neither of those air-heads do something to mess it up...

* * *

Only a few minutes later, Hiccup finds himself sitting on the edge of Gothi's bed. The elderly woman hovering around his bruised wrist, checking his eyes and mouth, poking his fingertips with pins, and then occasionally stopping to write something on the ground with her staff, which Gobber translates.

"She says...Trader Johann is right." Gobber shakes his head almost grimly. "It _is_ Vorpentitis."

"So you've seen it before, Elder?" Stoick asks, his voice laced with hope.

Gothi nods and continues scratching her messages into the dust on the floor.

"She's seen it once before, a long time ago. Says she'll never forget it..." Gobber mutters as he sneaks a look at Hiccup, whose head is hanging low, his gaze distant and thoughtful as he stares at the hot, red mark on his arm. "Unfortunately...no one knew what it was back then." He translates quietly. "The man died in four days."

"So...you don't know how to treat it?" Stoick closes his eyes in despair and runs a frustrated hand through his beard. "All we can do is wait for Johann?"

With an apologetic frown, Gothi nods her aged head. She pats the back of Hiccup's hand, trying to comfort him. She wishes she could help...but she knows next to nothing of Vorpentitis. In fact, she'd been hoping she'd never have to see it rear its ugly head on her island again.

"Well...thank you for trying, Gothi." Stoick sighs. "I'm going to take Hiccup home now so he can rest." Without even asking him, his son slips off the bed and heads for the door, where his dragon is waiting outside. His father and mentor follow suit and Gothi trails after them until she reaches the threshold, where she pauses and watches them slowly trudge back toward the village.

Her head slowly shakes back and forth, a pained grimace on her face. Poor Hiccup... Even if Johann and Snotlout return with the cure _tomorrow_, he'll still be forced to endure the worst of the illness.

With a silent bow of her head, she returns inside so she can rest up as well. She has a feeling she'll be busy the next few hours...

* * *

After saying their goodbyes to Gobber at the Forge, Hiccup, Stoick, and Toothless are nearly home. They can see the faint tendril of smoke that snakes its way from their chimney and only then does Hiccup remember he left the fire pit burning when he left...something that, under normal circumstances, his father would most certainly lecture him for.

But today Stoick doesn't even seem to notice. He trudges a few feet ahead of his son, his distant gaze trailing over the ground under his feet. His thoughts are a million miles away, trying desperately to come up with a way to bring the situation of Hiccup's illness back into his control. He hates feeling this helpless. He's a Viking for Thor's sake! And Vikings cower to nothing! Especially not to something as abstract as sickness or poisoning...

He knows he should just wait patiently for Johann and Snotlout to return, that pacing and worrying will get him no where... He also knows that acting this way, like he's in a state of panic, will only concern the villagers.

He's their Chief. He needs to be strong in front of them, no matter the circumstances. But he's also not _just_ the Chief. ...he's also Hiccup's father. And his fatherly instincts are beginning to go into overdrive at the thought of his son being in such imminent danger.

There must be something he can do... There must be something...

Ironically enough, however, it's while Stoick is worrying over his son that Hiccup's pace drastically slows... He blinks several times and shakes his head, trying to clear his suddenly blurred vision.

Toothless notices and slows as well, his slitted eyes scrutinizing his Rider. What's wrong with him?

Finally, Hiccup completely stops walking. He leans over and braces himself on his knees, closing his eyes against the dizziness and his sudden bout of overwhelming weakness... It feels like his bitten arm is completely numb all of a sudden, the only sensation being the dull ache of heaviness at the base of his shoulder. And now...he's starting to feel pins and needles in his left hand as well.

Toothless's ears fold back and he whimpers fearfully at how pale Hiccup has become. Then, spinning around, he roars at Stoick to get his attention.

Hiccup's father turns in surprise at the sound, his eyes instantly growing wide at the sight that lays before him. "Hiccup!" He gasps, sprinting over and placing a steadying hand in the center of the boy's back. "Are you alright?"

The stricken teen nods his head but doesn't say anything. He slowly straightens up and shrugs his dad's hand away. And while a bit of color starts returning to his face, his eyes look...spacey. Like he isn't all there at the moment.

"Son?" Stoick repeats, concerned.

"I...I'm fine." Hiccup finally mutters in response. "I'm fine. Just...a little dizzy...is all." And then he shakes his head one more time and unconsciously cradles his bitten arm against his stomach before mumbling, "Let's just go home."

Stoick stands as well as stares with a disturbed expression as Hiccup starts walking again. He wobbles dangerously, his path more like a zig-zag than a straight line. Toothless trails very close behind him, as if afraid he'll simply keel over and need to be caught. Which, in all honesty, isn't an irrational fear.

...and it's only been a few hours since he was bitten. What is _tomorrow _going to be like?

* * *

_**A/N: Yeah, A short chapter. Sorry about that. :( **_


	5. Burning Up

_**Chapter Five**_

_**A/N: Like I said, I'm keeping this story relatively short so we're about 50% through already. The climax actually isn't too far off...**_

_**In response to...**_

_GuardianDragon98: ** Then uh...you might want to read this sitting down. Just saying...**_

_samsamwww: **Yeah, I feel like both of them are very protective of Hiccup and would get upset if they couldn't do anything to help him. And yes...it hurts ME every time I have to write it as well. Pretty much heart wrenching.****  
**_

_InfinitiumAce: **Oohhh, you meant between the two chapters. I got'cha now. Sorry if the transition sounded odd there, I don't usually think about what it will sound like between chapters (which I should) but I always forget... And yes, he LOVES pain...said it himself. XDD**_

_mistyElk0: **Yay! I'm glad you like where it's going! :)**_

_Guest: **Actually it's not totally unrelated. This was meant to sort of sound like a bridge between the series and second movie because I incorporated that map scene. Plus, the whole reason Hiccup got bitten in the first place is because he was out adventuring for the first time basically. So to answer your question, this story takes place about a few weeks AFTER Defenders of Berk so he's about the same age. :)**_

_OinkyThePiggy: **Oh my god, that's hilarious! XD I should have thought of that! LOL! Fortunately, I have other ideas... :)**_

_Johnriley245: **It's a made-up flower called a Basilisk Lily. Just something I came up with to replace the original cure... :D**_

_Jo: **Yeah...the Hiccup-injury fanfics are my favorite to read because they're usually the most intense and suspenseful and dramatic. Which is also why I like to write them so much...I'm also a bit sadistic but that's beside the point. XD**_

_XxPinkMustachexX: **Aw, I hope your wrist feels better soon! And yes, at least it's not Vorpentitis! XD**_

_Snowflake: **Lol, XD**_

_fictionalreader16: **Hm, well I'll see what I can do... :)**_

_Guest/NightFury101: **No problem :) And no, the only sure-fire way to cure Vorpentitis is that flower they need. **_

_Kupkake: **Yeah, fatherly Stoick is the best Stoick there is! XD And oh cool, I didn't know that! Well, you learn something new everyday I guess! :D**_

_Breyannia: **Ugh, that does sound like a nightmare! Anyway, I'm glad you're liking the story so far! :D**_

_TheGallopingCupcake: **Yup, he's in for a pretty tough time. XD**_

* * *

It doesn't take long for Hiccup to fall asleep once his father has gotten him home. Despite his original claims of not being tired, he and Toothless still shuffle upstairs and he finally agrees to 'rest his eyes'. And even though it's only early evening, the sickly teen drifts off into a deep sleep that carries him through the whole night and well into the next morning...

* * *

For probably the hundredth time this morning, Toothless grumbles unhappily to himself before climbing to his feet from where he's laying on the roof of the Haddock House. The Night Fury perks his ears, listening to the silence that exists within his best friend's bedroom. Hiccup must still be asleep.

...it's _noon._ And Hiccup is still asleep.

With a frustrated drone, he slinks over to the edge of the roof, gripping its wooden tiles with his claws as he swings his head upside down to peek in the window at the motionless shape of his human beneath the quilt. His nose twitches as a disheartened rumble goes through his chest and he hops inside, landing on one of the beams that run along below the ceiling.

When he eventually jumps down onto the floor, the dragon sneaks over to the foot of his human's bed and carefully -_oh_ so carefully- nudges Hiccup's side.

For a moment, his friend doesn't respond and Toothless whimpers in fear that something might be wrong... But then, Hiccup moans groggily and his eyes flutter open. He blinks a few times before a tired smile graces his lips.

"Morning, bud." He yawns and stretches his arms above his head, for once in his life, waking up the first time he's asked. He giggles quietly at the excited look his friend gives him but his laughter is soon morphed to disgust when Toothless licks him straight across the face, leaving a slimy trail of drool behind. "Ughh...yeah, I'm glad to see you too, Toothless..." He grumbles as he sits up, wiping the slobber away.

He doesn't immediately remember the bruise, nor does he recall what happened yesterday at first. It's like the whole day is a blur...and he stands there beside his bed for several, long seconds before he's able to remember what happened to him. With a nervous frown, he rolls up his sleeve.

Yesterday, his wrist had been marred by ugly, purple bruising and greyish-nearly-transparent skin. But today... Hiccup blinks at the pleasant surprise he finds. The 'wound' has almost gone back to normal! The only thing remaining now is a slight yellowish tint to his skin, like a week old bruise that is almost ready to disappear. How strange... And as he stands there, having just woken up, he feels more energetic than usual as well. Like he he's been up for hours and eagerly awaiting to start the day.

In fact, he doesn't feel sick at all. Not in the least. All of the feeling has returned to his hand and arm and there are no pins and needles to be found.

It's while he's gaping at the apparent miracle that he notices...something else. His room seems oddly bright. And as he glances out the window, his stomach sinks. "It's that late already?!" He gasps, spinning back around to stare questioningly at Toothless. "You actually let me sleep in?"

His dragon coos in confusion but nuzzles his head against Hiccup's cheek, relieved to see him acting normal again.

"Huh..." The boy smiles and strokes Toothless's head. "I guess you were pretty worried." Then his grin turns ornery and he quickly scratches his Night Fury's chin, his voice sounding quite energetic when he whispers, "Wanna go for a flight before we head to the Academy?"

His dragon's eyes widen in excitement and he drones loudly, literally bouncing toward the window and waggling his butt like an excited dog. Hiccup laughs at him and hurries over, hopping into the saddle and leaning down as they rocket outside.

He was wrong yesterday. It's not snowing like he thought. In fact, the clouds have begun to clear and the air is warm again. Oddly enough, it's shaping up to be a pretty good day so far...!

* * *

Astrid's boots thump over the patches of dried mud that litter the grassy area outside Hiccup's house. There's a troubled look on the blonde girl's face when she ponders what condition he might be in today. After all, when she asked Stoick this morning about his son, he told her Hiccup was still sleeping when he left. Which is strange...normally, Toothless would have woken him in the earliest hours of the morning. Meaning his dragon is still worried about him and wants him to get lots of rest. And by the looks of how quiet the house is and the fact that she hasn't run into her friend today in the village...he's probably still asleep right now.

So Astrid climbs the stairs outside his front door and gingerly lifts her fist to the heavy, wooden entrance. She knocks a few times, only to receive no answer from within. "Hiccup?" She calls. "Are you here?"

Again there's no response. So Astrid does as any caring Viking friend would do...and kicks open the front door, barging straight upstairs to Hiccup's room. "Hiccup!" She calls as she stomps up the steps, only to find an empty bed waiting for her. Both Hiccup and Toothless are gone.

But before she gets the chance to think too much about it, Astrid hears a very familiar sound outside the window. She hurries over and looks out, squinting against the unusually bright sky to find a dark shape gliding toward the house at breathtaking speeds. With a shake of her head and a small sigh, she jogs back downstairs and outside to wait for them.

Toothless sees Astrid long before they land and he coos happily at the sight of her, craning his neck to look over his shoulder at Hiccup. Apparently his Rider has already spotted her though...because his expression is suddenly troubled as a thought occurs to him.

_Was she bitten too?_

Once they're close enough, Astrid smiles tightly and waves. She steps back to make room for Toothless to land and folds her arms behind her back, shifting her weight almost uncomfortably as Hiccup unbuckles himself. His eyes never once leave her. Was she bitten?

_Gods, I hope not..._

He slides down from the saddle and walks over to her, waiting for her to answer the silent question that hangs between them. But instead of putting his fears to rest, Astrid's expression becomes quizzical as she looks him over.

"How do you feel?" She asks.

"Fine." Hiccup assures her, not bothering to tell her 'better than yesterday' because she never actually _saw_ his little...'episode' on the way home. And before she gets the chance to inquire anymore on his condition, he tips his head forward and gives her a meaningful look. "And you? Were you bitten too?"

Astrid shakes her head and smiles a little. "No. I checked pretty thoroughly and I think I'm good."

Hiccup sighs in relief and his facial expression lightens. "You're sure?"

She nods. "I'm sure, Hiccup." Then, she moves closer and motions to his wrist. "How's yours doing?" She asks, earning a confused little grin from her friend. He rolls up his sleeve to show her the pale, yellow bruise and only shrugs in response to her wide-eyed stare. "Wha...? What happened?!" She gasps.

"No clue." He replies. "Maybe the poison isn't as deadly as they thought it was."

But that only causes Astrid to sputter in horror. "Deadly?!" She hisses. "They think it's deadly?!"

"Well, yeah..." Hiccup admits. "But look!" He lifts his arm again. "It's going away, no need to worry."

Before Astrid can protest any further, Hiccup places a hand on her shoulder and smiles that crooked grin that always shuts her up.

"It'll be fine, Astrid." He says once more. "Even if it isn't going away, Trader Johann and Snotlout should be back with the cure by this evening. No need to panic."

She frowns and shrugs his hand away, making his eyebrows arc up in surprise. She plants her hands on her hips and turns away to hide the light blush on her cheeks when she grumbles, "Who's panicking? I'm not panicking..." It's then she hears the sound of Toothless's wings fanning open. When Astrid turns back again, she finds Hiccup is mounted up again and still grinning at her.

"Good, glad to hear it." He says as he finishes buckling himself in. "Now, I've gotta go find something for Toothless to eat. See you later for training."

"Training?!" Astrid echos in disbelief. "You're possibly suffering from a deadly poison and you want to attend training?!"

Hiccup pauses for a moment, thinking about this. But then he just nods and says, "What else am I going to do? Sit around and sulk?"

But his attempt goes over flat and she only scowls at him. "Hiccup, this isn't a joke. No one.." She pauses then, contemplating whether or not to actually say it. Obviously she decides to give it a shot. "No one will think any less of you if you just stay home and rest."

Now it's Hiccup's turn to frown. "I'm not worried about that, Astrid." He assures her. "I just don't think there's any point in laying in my room, staring at the wall, and letting someone take care of me when I probably don't even _need_ to be taken care of!"

"Hiccup-" She tries again, but then he shakes his head and smirks at her. Apparently he's done arguing about this because he pats Toothless's side and the dragon flaps into the air.

"I'll see you later, Astrid." He says. "Don't worry so much." And then he and Toothless take off in the direction of the Great Hall, probably to find something for the two of them to eat.

And Astrid just stands there, feeling flustered and greatly annoyed for a few seconds before stomping her boot into the ground and snorting in outrage. As she grumps off toward her house, she decides that if Hiccup goes and gets himself sick because he's pushing himself, she's _not_ going to take care of him! Nope! That's _it_! If that stupid, stubborn boy wants to be...well _stupid and stubborn_ he can go right on ahead! Because she doesn't care anymore! "Hmph!" She outwardly nods her head, assuring herself she doesn't care in the least.

Even though she's still biting her lip and distantly worrying about her idiotic friend...

* * *

It's not until early evening that the Dragon Riders begin to gather at the Academy. Astrid is first, as usual, followed by Fishlegs and then the twins. For a while, the four of them linger about the Arena waiting for Hiccup to arrive. And even though Astrid silently prays that he'll think about her suggestion to stay home and rest, Hiccup arrives shortly after the twins, looking as lively and healthy as earlier in the morning.

"Alright, gang." He says as he jumps down from the saddle. "How's everyone for a bit of accuracy training?"

However, no one answers him. When he turns around to stare questioningly at his friends, they're all watching him as if he might keel over at any moment. Even the twins seem a bit on-edge.

"What?" He asks, looking down at himself as if afraid Toothless may have left some more slobber on him or something.

Only then does Astrid fold her arms and give him an evil smile. "Nothing. I just told them about your Vorpentitis and made sure they realize how serious this is..."

Hiccup's mouth falls open and he glares at her. "Astrid!" He barks, feeling a _jarring _amount of anger jolting through his chest. The emotion is so sudden and unwarranted that he actually falters for a moment, a confused and shocked expression touching his face. His face feels hot all of sudden...

"Oh come on, Hiccup!" Astrid counters, obviously not noticing his moment of bewilderment. "There's nothing wrong with them knowing about it! In fact, they _should _know!"

But as quickly as the anger came, it fades away, leaving Hiccup feeling...empty and slightly chilled. He blinks a few times and shakes his head. "Um, you're right." He admits, almost drearily. "They do deserve to know."

Astrid hesitates, confused by his almost bipolar behavior. "Uh...good. I'm glad you agree with me..." Then, she takes a small step forward, noticing how pale he's suddenly become. "Hiccup? Are you feeling okay?"

He nods, his eyes refocusing. "I'm alright." He insists.

Clearly Astrid isn't buying it though, because she ignores his tired protests and places a hand to his forehead to feel his temperature, only to draw her hand away and bite the inside of her cheek. "Well...you don't have a fever."

"See?" He quips, a bit more strength returning to his voice.

"_But_ you look pretty pale." She adds. "Maybe you should just sit down for a while..."

"Astrid," He begins, only to get interrupted by Fishlegs.

"She's right, Hiccup." He admits. "You don't look good."

"Yeah..." Ruff squints her eyes, staring at Hiccup as if trying to decide what he reminds her of. "You kinda look like our uncle after he ate that poisonous bug!"

Tuff laughs at the comparison and nods his head. "You're totally right! Hey, hey, remember when he passed out into the yak's water trough?!"

"Yeahh! That was hilarious!" His sister chuckles. But then both of their expressions turn respectful and Tuff mutters, "Rest in peace, Uncle Toenail..."

"GUYS!" Astrid snaps. "This is NOT the conversation to be having right now!"

Ruff and Tuff look at each other in confusion as if to say "what'd we do?" But their thoughts are cut short when Hiccup steps forward.

"Astrid's right. We should be training, not talking." He points out casually, earning a nod from Fishlegs and the twins, who seem to have forgotten what they were talking about before Ruff and Tuff's little outburst... Much to his pleasure.

Astrid isn't so easily fooled though, and is about to speak out against him changing the subject, when Hiccup simply begins with the exercise.

"Alright, Fishlegs! You're up!" He says.

So the chubby boy hurries over to the center of the Arena, Meatlug waddling after him. He clears his throat, seeming confident in his abilities. "Behold!" He announces proudly, motioning to his beloved Gronckle. With a single move of his hand, Meatlug understands his command and happily buzzes into the air. Then, Fishlegs gives another hand signal and her body starts to rumble as lava builds up... A second later, it fires from her mouth and slams directly into the targets that are still lined up from the last training exercise.

Hiccup nods and walks over to inspect the melting target. "Well done, Fishlegs and Meatlug!" Then, he turns back to the other teens, prepared to ask Astrid to go next...but he stops when he catches the dirty look she's giving him and instead turns to the twins. "Ruff, Tuff! You're up!" He backs off to where Toothless is standing to give them room.

It's while they're lining up with Barf and Belch and preparing to show off their skills, that goosebumps begin to run across Hiccup's back. He shivers and rubs his arms, earning a questioning look from his dragon.

"It's okay, bud." He whispers, scratching Toothless's chin the way he loves. But as soon as the Night Fury looks away again, Hiccup finds himself shaking his head and blinking rapidly as his vision starts to blur again... He reaches up to press his palm to his forehead, hoping that will settle the light-headedness that has begun to make him feel unbalanced. Of course it doesn't work...

However, while his hand is raised, Hiccup notices something that makes his stomach twist. The spot where the bruise used to be...is now flaming red once more. He closes his eyes and grimaces at the dull ache in his arm as well as the sudden onslaught of pins and needles that washes over him. This time, he can even feel it in his toes.

He can vaguely hear someone calling his name. It must be his turn to demonstrate...only he can feel himself slipping away. He's going to faint and he knows it.

"Hiccup?" Astrid asks, her previous scowl melting away when she realizes he hasn't stepped up to the center yet. Turning to face him, she gasps quietly at the sight of him leaning heavily against the wall, his head in his hand. Her steps are quick as she crosses the Arena. "Hey, are you-" But she cuts herself off when she spots his knees beginning to buckle...

"He's gonna faint...!" Fishlegs whimpers fearfully.

But Astrid has already figured that out. She dives forward, closing the rest of the space between them in a split-second and just barely manages to catch Hiccup before he falls. He collapses against her shoulder and she wraps her arms around his waist to support him, before carefully lowering him to the ground.

Toothless shrieks in fear and sniffs Hiccup, nudging him with his nose...but the boy doesn't open his eyes.

The other Riders hurry over, their expressions horrified. "Is he alright?!" Fishlegs asks.

"He...he's okay..." Astrid mutters even though she isn't sure herself. Hesitantly, she lifts her hand and starts tapping his cheek, trying to rouse him. "Hiccup? Come on, wake up! Oh..." She freezes, leaving her hand placed on his skin.

"What?" Fishlegs wonders nervously.

Her expression softens and turns almost...sad. "He's got a fever now. He's burning up."

* * *

_**A/N: And the illness worsens... **_

_**PS, THANKS EVERYONE FOR ALL THE SUPER NICE REVIEWS! You guys are awesome! (seriously, an average of 13 per chapter (as of now)?! That's insane! Thanks so much!)**_


	6. The Cure

_**Chapter Six**_

_**A/N: In response to...**_

_samsamwww: **Yeah, it's strange how (in the books, movie AND the series) he can be very mature at times...but other times he just rushes into things with half-baked ideas and just hopes things will turn out okay. But like you said, that certainly makes things more interesting... XD And thank you! It always brightens my day when people say that~ :D**_

_InfinitumAce:** LOL! You're right! Vorpentitis is a troll! XD And yes, I am the proud creator and owner of Uncle Toenail... (well. That's a phrase I never thought I'd use in my life...)**_

_GuardianDragon98: **Well, let's just say it's not ever yet...**_

_skyle1412: **Thanks, I'm glad you like it! :D **_

_TheGallopingCupcake:** Yup, luck is not exactly his forte. Unless, of course, you're talking about Book!Hiccup. Then he miraculously survives EVERY impossible situation EVER. But you know...children's books..**_

_mistyElk0: **Heh...heh...well...I'll just leave it at this: I wouldn't... *hold your breath* XD (you'll get it eventually)**_

_A random surprise: **Wow, that is freaky! Maybe our whole fandom is turning psychic because I had a dream about Stoick in HTTYD 2 and if it comes true, I am going to FREAK!**_

_Jesusfreak: **I'd say there will probably be no more than two or three chapters after this.**_

_snoopykid: **Thanks! :D**_

_Dragonviking: **Yay! I'm glad! :D**_

_fictionreader16: **Thank you! :)**_

_XxPinkMustachexX: **Hm, I guess you'll just have to wait and see what happens. Because this is one story I don't want to spoil! Just throwing that out there. But anyway! I hope your arm feels better soon and you can get all of your projects and stuff done! :)****  
**_

_Hikka: **Lol, I liked that moment too. XD And I'm glad you find it 'suspenseful and thrilling' so far! :D**_

_midnightsky0612: **Thanks :D**_

_Breyannia: _**_Well, you'll find out in this chapter! :D_**

_Kupkake:** Um, normally I'd tell you but...just read the chapter. XD You'll find out.**_

_Cottonmouth25: **I'm glad you like it! :) **_

* * *

The Haddock house's upper room is packed this evening as the Riders, Gobber, and Stoick all crowd around Hiccup's bed. The pale boy is laying down, admittedly too dizzy to sit up, and shivering slightly from his fever.

"I'm sorry..." He mutters quietly, in response to Stoick growling about how he frightened the living daylights out of all of them. "I didn't think it would hit me so suddenly. I didn't mean to scare anyone."

"You should have been more careful." His father sighs, his voice gentler now. "Imagine what could have happened if you'd been _flying_ when you fainted? You could've been killed!"

"I...I know..." He mumbles. "But I thought I was getting better. My bruise went away and..." He groans and shakes his head. "I should've just listened to Astrid..." He admits, listening to the sound of said Viking's voice downstairs as she talks with Gothi. The medicine woman had come here along with Gobber to check on him but, once again, was unable to help him in any way. Now, it sounds like Astrid is thanking her for trying and the door closes. Gothi must have left because a moment later, Astrid reappears at the top of the steps and joins everyone else around Hiccup's bed.

"Hiccup," Stoick continues. "You have a serious illness. You can't be wandering off and getting into trouble! You need to stay _here_ and stay in bed."

"I know..." His son sighs, frowning down at his numb right arm. It's now flaming with a red-hot mark where the bruise used to be. "I will."

And then Stoick straightens up and nods his head. "Good. Gobber and I need to go to the Great Hall for a few minutes to inform the villagers about this. Apparently, _someone_ heard you're sick and now _everyone's_ demanding to know what's going on."

Hiccup cuts an accusing eye toward the twins, who begin to whistle innocently. He sighs and looks back at his dad. "That's fine. I'll be okay."

His father frowns, leaning down to check his temperature again. "Your fever is still too high..." He mumbles, regarding the sick boy whose eyes look a little too glassy to be healthy. Stoick's voice is almost inaudible when he mumbles, "I wish I didn't have to leave you again..."

His son smiles weakly and waves his concern away. "I'll be fine, Dad. Go take care of the villagers."

So his father backs off and turns to the others standing in the room. "Will someone stay with him until I get back?"

"Dad-" Hiccup starts to protest. He doesn't need a babysitter.

"I will." Astrid volunteers.

Stoick thanks her as he ushers the other kids away so Hiccup can rest. But before he leaves, he glances over his shoulder at his son's friend as she sits down on the edge of the bed and places a hand on his forehead. With an amused smile, he shakes his head. _What a surprise..._

* * *

Hiccup is greatly relieved to see the crowd go. He's never been a fan of being the center of attention, nor large groups of people. But even so, some little, childish part of his mind wishes his dad would stay... He isn't sure why though. Almost every single time he's been sick in the past, he's stayed home alone. He never liked telling his father when he's ill...but today is different. This time...this time he could _die_ if he's not careful. Maybe that's why he's secretly so glad his dad asked Astrid to stay with him.

Said girl removes her hand from his forehead and clicks her tongue a few times in disapproval. "For Thor's sake Hiccup, you're burning up..." She says it in a way that makes it sound like it's his fault, but her tone couldn't be softer. She sits back offers him a little smile. "Can I get you anything?"

He returns the grin and chuckles at the idea of Astrid trying to wait on him... "No thanks. I'm okay."

She arcs an eyebrow at him. "Well you're definitely not 'okay' but...I'm glad you're awake." She says quietly. "You really did give us a pretty good scare back in the Academy."

"I'm sorry." He assures her. "It just kind of...hit me. I was fine and then I wasn't... I don't know, it was weird."

Astrid looks thoughtful as she slowly stands from the bed and heads for the stairs. "I'm going to get you some water. You need to keep drinking or you'll end up dehydrated." As she disappears down the steps, Hiccup squirms further down into his bed, hissing at the pain in his arm. It's beginning to get more intense, to the point where it's very hard to ignore now.

Toothless stands up from where he'd been laying on his stone bed and slinks over, eyes wide and sad. He whimpers and gently nudges Hiccup's shoulder with his nose, silently asking if he's okay.

And for once...Hiccup isn't sure how to respond. "I don't know, bud." He admits softly. He strokes the dragon's head with his good hand and rolls onto his side to face his friend. "I just hope Johann and Snotlout get here soon..."

It's at that moment that he hears a heavy knock on his front door. Instinct drives him to get up but as soon as he's in a sitting position, his head starts to spin so badly he has to close his eyes. Toothless whines and pushes him back down. A second later, he hears the door creaking open and Astrid's voice speaking very quickly. She sounds excited...?

* * *

"Snotlout?!" Astrid gasps at the sight of him. "What...what are you doing here?!"

Hiccup's cousin is smiling broadly, looking very _very_ pleased with himself. From behind his back, he withdraws a bundle of bright, red flowers. For a second, Astrid falters. She hasn't heard of the Basilisk Lilies before so, at first, she thinks this is yet another misguided attempt at flirtation. But then...

"Wait...is that...?"

"The key to saving Hiccup's life? Hmm, YES!" He flaunts, waving the lilies in front of her.

"Oh my god...Snotlout!" She stares wide eyed at him for a moment, suddenly feeling like she doesn't know what to do. But before he can say anymore, she launches herself into his arms and hugs him so tight he feels his spine pop.

"Aghh, Astrid...!" He chokes. "I know I'm irresistable and all...but we can do this another time...!"

She pulls back, remarkably able to hold back her urge to clock him one for insinuating that. She decides to let it go just this once... He's saving Hiccup's life after all! "Where's Johann?" She asks him.

"He went to get the Chief." Snotlout tells her. "We saw him heading for the Great Hall while we were flying over."

She nods and pulls him inside. "Come on, I want to go tell Hiccup!" And he trails her upstairs, still holding the flowers in his fist. However, once he reaches the other boy's room...he's so taken aback he nearly drops them.

Hiccup is pale as a ghost. One of his wrists, which is resting stop his blanket, is bright red and looks horribly painful. His cousin appears to be sleeping...

"What happened to him...?" Snotlout breathes. "He was _not_ this bad yesterday..."

Astrid is about to tell him when Hiccup's eyes flutter open. He turns his head to find Snotlout standing there and his eyebrow arcs in confusion.

"Great...now I'm delirious too..." He grumbles.

Snotlout frowns and shakes his head. "Uh, no you're not! I'm actually here, Useless!"

And then Hiccup's eyes go wide and struggles onto his elbows. "Wait...what? You're back already then?"

The other Rider nods his head vigorously and shows him the lilies. "Turns out Hookfang doesn't hate you as much as I do-OW!" He whips his head around to glare at Astrid who punched him in the arm. "..._because_ he flew very fast so we could get these."

Hiccup smiles gratefully and thanks Snotlout for helping him. Of course, that only causes his loud-mouthed friend to turn an awkward shade of red before he stomps away to sit on the floor against the wall, letting Astrid recapture the conversation.

"Johann and your father should be here soon." She says, sitting down on his bedside again. And then, without thinking about it, she grasps his hand and smiles brightly. "They actually did it..."

Hiccup nods and shifts his weight a bit uncomfortably, but doesn't take his hand away. "Y-yeah..." He agrees, cursing the blush that must be lighting his cheeks by now. Of course, maybe she won't notice...it might blend in with the fever flush.

They both turn their heads at the sound of Snotlout's disgusted groan. "I'd say get a room..." He grumbles as he stands up. "But I guess I'm _in_ yours. So I'm going downstairs to wait." And then he stomps down the steps and they can hear him flop down onto a chair and snort unhappily.

"Oh..." Astrid looks down at their intertwined fingers and smirks apologetically. "I guess that's what he means."

"I guess." Hiccup mutters. But neither of them act to change the situation. Instead, Astrid lifts her free hand to brush his cheek, checking his fever.

Her brow knots. "It's a good thing he showed up when he did." She remarks. "I don't like this fever of yours."

"Yeah, it's not a blast for me either." He jokes flatly, relaxing back onto his pillow as another wave of dizziness washes over him. "Wonder when Dad'll get here..." He mumbles.

Then, as if on que, the front door bursts open and they hear the tell-tale sound of Stoick thundering up the steps, quickly followed by Gobber and Johann. "Son..." His father breathes, his eyes flickering across Hiccup's pale complexion. He starts to ask something but Hiccup cuts him off.

"They're right here, Dad. Don't panic." He mutters, nodding his head to the lilies that are resting on his bedside table now.

"Oh thank Thor." Stoick sighs in relief. "I was sure something was going to go wrong."

Then Astrid stands, allowing Stoick to take her spot beside Hiccup. "I'll help Johann make the cure. Come on." She says, grabbing the merchant's wrist and the lilies and taking them both back downstairs. Gobber quickly joins them, just to be sure they know what they're doing, leaving the room empty except for Hiccup and Stoick.

The boy's father smiles at him and brushes his bangs from his hot forehead. "How're you feeling, son?"

"Eh...you know." He shrugs casually. "Miserable..."

Stoick chuckles and shakes his head. "Luckily, you won't have to be for long. They'll fix up the antidote and you'll be good as new."

Hiccup nods, blinking a few times because suddenly his dad looks more like a bright-red blob than an actual person. "I can't wait..." He admits.

"Then it's a good thing that didn't take long!" Johann announces as he hurries up the stairs, holding a shallow wooden bowl. Its contents are a severe shade of red that makes Hiccup squirm uncomfortably. It's almost the exact color as his wrist and, for some reason, that skeeves him out.

"What do I...do with it?" He asks, gingerly taking the bowl from him.

"Um, well I'd imagine you drink it!" The merchant says, although he doesn't sound sure. This earns him a scowl from Stoick, who stands up as if to challenge him.

"You'd imagine?" He echos. "Are you sure?"

"Dad..." Hiccup protests weakly. Why does he always have to start fights...? "It's fine. I'm sure Johann knows what he's doing." And then, he tips the bowl up to his lips and shivers as the crimson liquid slips down his throat. "Ugh..." He groans once it's been drained and the dish is empty.

Stoick backs off from Johann and returns to his son. "Well? How do you feel?"

"Uh," Hiccup swallows again, trying to get the vile flavor out of his mouth. "Not much different...but I'm sure it just takes time to kick in."

His father nods and looks back at Johann. "Thank you, Johann." He extends his arm and the two shake hands. "You saved my boy's life. I owe you a great deal..."

"Oh no..." The merchant waves that away, appearing a bit nervous. "Consider it an act of friendship..." And then he starts backing away toward the stairs. "Get well soon, Master Hiccup! And I hope you'll keep me informed, Chief." And then he hurries away out the door, leaving Hiccup and Stoick staring in confusion after him.

"Well...that was odd." Hiccup remarks as he flexes his aching fingers.

"Yes, he isn't acting as usual. Normally he'd stay half the night and bore everyone to death with his fish stories."

Hiccup snickers because it's completely true and then closes his eyes, suddenly feeling very drowsy. Stoick clearly notices because a moment later, his lantern is blown out and his father says,

"Goodnight, Hiccup. Sleep well."

"Night, Dad." As he listens to the sound of his father going down the steps, Hiccup rolls over in his bed to smile at Toothless. The dragon coos and nuzzles his cheek before curling up on the floor beside him. "Night, bud." Hiccup whispers as his eyelids droop down.

The last thing he notices before succumbing to sleep is a dull ache that seems to radiate through his entire body. His shivers from the fever die out...but he's left feeling frozen to the core, suddenly too numb and tired to pull the blankets up any further. And then he slips away in unconsciousness, his breaths becoming more and more shallow by the second.

* * *

_**A/N: Climax next chapter! Thanks for reading and don't forget to review! :D**_

_**Also, my next fanfic is called Siren Sung. More info about it on my profile!**_


	7. The Storm

_**Chapter Seven**_

_**A/N: Climax time! We're about 70 or 80% done...**_

_**In response to...**_

_GuardianDragon98: **Lol, I do put that poor boy through a lot but, as you said, whump is the best ;D**_

_The Galloping Cupcake: **And your feeling would be correct! XD **_

_samsamwww: **Well, he's not allergic, that much I'll say...you'll find out. :)**_

_slowpoke09:** Just wait and see! (I know everyone hates it when I say that) but I don't want to spoil anything!**_

_InfinitiumAce: **He was saying 'what a surprise' because Astrid volunteered to stay and take care of him. Lol! I didn't really mean it as THAT forbidden ship, just that she's glad to see him back with the cure. As for why the cure isn't working, you'll find that out eventually. And, funnily enough, Gothi DOES smack someone with her staff later! XD**_

_snoopykid: **Shhh! XD You'll see...!**_

_mistyElk0: **You'll find out! :D**_

_XxPinkMustachexX: **Lol, everyone is guessing things and all I can say is: wait and see! But I'm glad you feel better and can finish your stuff now! :)**_

_skyle1412: **I guess you'll have to wait and see if he survives or not... *evil grin*****  
**_

_Cottonmouth25: **Really? You wrote an HTTYD fanfic about a Siren?! :O How did I not see that?!**_

_Guest/Nightfury101: **I'm glad you liked the chapter! :D As for your guess, you'll just have to wait and find out! :)**_

_Breyannia: **Yup, there is certainly craziness going on. But you'll find out soon enough!**_

_fictionreader16: **D'aw, thank you so much! I'm glad you're liking the story and yeah, Hiccstrid is da' bomb! XD**_

_Eel Nadder: **He does seem a bit...jittery. I feel that way too, especially since the episode you mentioned. And yes, in the book, the cure is the "vegetable that does't exist" AKA a potato. XDD**_

_Kupkake: **Yup, things are not looking good for poor Hiccup... **_

* * *

Subtle, rosy light filters in through the window above Hiccup's bed. Outside, the sun is shining brightly once more and birds flit around the trees and bushes. For once, their feathers are free of snow and ice and they don't have to dodge raindrops or worry about finding shelter from the cold. One of them flaps over to Hiccup's window and lands, pausing a moment, before bristling and taking off again. The feeling of death in that room is too strong for it to stand...

The same does not go for Stoick's window, however, and he is quickly woken by the loud trillings of the songbirds. With a yawn, he stretches his muscular arms high above his head and rubs his groggy eyes as he sits up, blinding fumbling for his helmet and cape which are hanging at the foot of his bed. _Time to go check on the villagers... _

But as soon as his hand grazes his helmet, it's like a shock of electricity jolts through him. He staggers to his feet, remembering the events of the two previous days. Forsaking his helmet and cape, he stumbles toward the stairs to check on his son. Hopefully, he'll be back to normal by now.

However, he isn't at all prepared for what he finds waiting in his son's room.

* * *

The first thing he notices is Toothless's dark shape hovering very close to Hiccup's side. Sorrowful whimpers fill the dragon's throat as he nudges his Rider's limp arm, effectively jolting the boy's entire body but still not getting a response. When the Night Fury spots Stoick, his ears fold back and he moans sadly, moving back to give Stoick room... Hiccup's father shuffles forward, his eyes wide in a flurry of emotions.

Why...?

Why is he...?

Why didn't the cure _work_?

With a trembling hand, Stoick reaches out to his son. He clasps Hiccup's shoulder and gently shakes him. "Hiccup?" He asks, his voice breaking slightly. "Come on, son. Wake up..."

But he only continues to lay there, perfectly motionless. No expression on his pale white face. No warmth in his icy skin. There are dark shadows under his closed eyes and his wrist is still bright red...

Stoick sinks to his knees as he begins to feel weak. He tips Hiccup's chin up and moves so his ear is above his son's mouth. Closing his eyes, he prays to feel a breath. He prays to every god he can think of. Please! Just let him be alive!

The seconds drag on and on and on...until finally, just as he's about to give up, he feels a soft puff of air on his cheek! Stoick's eyes snap open, heart thumping. Was it just his imagination?! Is Hiccup really...?!

Just to be certain, he moves his ear down to the boy's chest. Listening intently, he finds what he was looking for.

_Thump..._

_ Thump..._

_ Thump..._

"Thank gods..." He whispers as he sits down, allowing himself a moment to catch his breath. Then, he jumps to his feet and gazes down at Hiccup. He's alive but just barely. What he wants to know is, why? What happened? Why didn't the cure heal him?! Why is he still _dying_!

He's just about to stomp out and find Johann, who surely hasn't left the village yet, when he pauses. Turning back to Hiccup, he finds himself grimacing. He can't leave him. Not like _this_. Not when he might...

_Knock, knock!_

Stoick freezes, glancing down at the door at the bottom of the stairs. He turns back to Toothless and says, "Stay with him." And then he runs down the steps and throws open the door, angrily hoping it's Johann standing there... But it's not. "Astrid." He mumbles in disappointment, still reeling from the deathly image of his son upstairs.

"Good morning, Chief." She greets with a smile, her eyes taking in his tight expression. "Is...everything okay?" She might have asked the question fairly vaguely, but he knows what she means.

"It didn't work." He admits, his voice laced with acidity. "Hiccup is worse."

Horror darkens her face and her eyes shine with fear. "Can I...come in?"

Stoick nods and steps aside so she can enter. Logically, he knows he should tell her to run and find Johann or Gothi or someone who can help Hiccup. But he also knows that that was the only cure for his son...and if it didn't work, well... What else can they do?

Astrid's hands are shaking as she mounts the stairs. Gods, it can't be true... They were all so sure the medicine would help him. How could he be worse today? But as she finally reaches his bedroom, she actually moans in despair and closes her eyes for a moment.

He looks like death.

His skin is ashen, his chest rising and falling so shallowly she has to squint to see him breathing. And his _wrist..._the inflamed coloration is shocking against the paleness of his arm.

So it's true then. The cure really didn't work.

Tears sting her eyes at the sight of Toothless. Hiccup's dragon is still lingering by the unconscious boy, constantly whining and whimpering. "Oh Toothless..." Astrid whispers, her voice shaking.

The Night Fury's eyes shimmer with sorrow and he trudges over to her, accepting her mournful embrace.

"I'm so sorry, Toothless." She breathes. "I'm so sorry..." Over his shoulder, she can't help but stare at the seemingly lifeless form of her friend. Her eyes close again and she feels her breaths hitch. She doesn't want to cry... Vikings don't cry... But she really doesn't feel like much of a Viking right now.

She just feels like a girl who's losing her best friend.

Slowly, shakily, she gets to her feet and watches Toothless return to Hiccup's side. What will he do if his Rider dies...? She takes a steadying breath, determined not cry. Astrid faces Stoick, who is staring at his son with a gloomy, hopeless expression. "What...what can we do?" She asks as she wipes her misty eyes. "There's got to be some way to help him!"

The Chief sighs heavily and sits down on the boy's bedside, gently checking his temperature, only to find his son as icy as before. "Trader Johann might know what went wrong." He offers. "If you can find him-"

He is stopped by the sound of boots thumping down the steps. "I'll bring Gothi too!" Astrid calls back up, her voice wavering slightly. And then the door slams shut and she's gone.

* * *

As Astrid sprint through the village, she feverishly wipes away the tears that continue to roll down her cheeks. They're relentless, no matter how many times she reminds herself that now isn't the time for crying like a child. She sets her jaw and grits her teeth, holding her breath to stop them from falling.

She has to find Johann. He'll know how to fix this.

A few minutes later, she bursts into Gobber's workshop, panting heavily. "Gobber!" She shouts as she storms inside.

The Blacksmith peers at her from behind his workbench. "Good morning, Astrid." He greets pleasantly. "Have you checked on Hiccup yet today?"

"Yes..." She manages between breaths.

"And? Is he all fixed up and good as new?"

She shakes her head. "No, in fact he's worse. Something went wrong."

Hiccup's mentor groans and shakes his head. "How bad is it?"

"Bad." She growls. "Listen, do you know where Trader Johann is?"

Gobber pauses, his expression darkening. "Well...yes. He closed up shop this morning and sailed off to the north..."

"No...! Come on...!" Astrid moans, frustrated and angry. Then, with a whole new resolve, she spins back around and throws open the door.

"Wait! Where're you going?!" Gobber shouts after her.

"To find Stormfly! I'm going after him!" She says darkly. "Gobber, can you go get Gothi and bring her to Hiccup? He's gonna need all the help he can get..."

So the Blacksmith nods and jumps to his feet, hobbling toward the exit as well, startled by the news that his young apprentice is still sick... He doesn't bother locking up or shedding his apron. Instead, he runs as fast as his peg leg can carry him up the hill to Gothi's hut.

* * *

Stormfly has never flown so fast in her life. Before Astrid even said anything, she could feel her Rider's desperation and bowed her head for the girl to climb on. Then the Nadder had taken off at top speed, only to beat her wings even fast at the fear in her human's voice.

"We've got to find Trader Johann's ship." Astrid tells her breathlessly, already scanning the horizon for any sign of the merchant's boat. "He might be the only one who can save Hiccup now..." _Gobber said he sailed north. _She adds silently. _The winds are stronger there... _

Astrid takes a moment to settle her thundering heart and close her eyes, trying to steady her breath. _Calm down. Calm down. Hiccup is going to be okay... We'll find Johann and bring him back with us... No problem. Hiccup is going to fine. _But then she opens her eyes again and winces at the harsh wind that lashes against her cheeks. Winds like these could have carried his ship miles out already... And as she looks up into the darkening sky, she finds that thick storm clouds have gathered.

If this storm hits while she's flying, it'll make finding Johann a hundred times harder. She might even have to land if it gets too bad...

* * *

_**A/N: More climaxy stuff next chapter! We're almost done guys...**_

_**Also, HOLY COW YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING! An average 15 reviews per chapter?! That is the HIGHEST I've EVER had! Thank you SOOOO much! It really means a lot to me to know how much you guys enjoy the stories and to see how pumped you all get for each chapter! Totally the highlight of my days! **_


	8. Silence

_**Chapter Eight**_

_**A/N: Emotional chapter warning ;_; Also only one more to go after this one... **_

_**In response to...**_

_samsamwww: **Yup, fatherly!Stoick is adorable! One of my favorites in the franchise...that and Baby!cup XD**_

_Johnriley245: **Um, what's that?**_

_TheGallopingCupcake: **Lol, I guess we'll see what happens. And thanks! I'm glad you like it :D**_

_Snowflake: **You'll find out...**_

_GuardianDragon98: **Yay! I mean...not 'yay' that you're freaking out but 'yay' because you're on the edge of your seat and...uhh... Okay, I'll stop talking now. XD You know what I mean. LOL!**_

_Vika: **You'll see~ :D And THANKS :) I try to make my climaxes at least a little exciting... XD**_

_Mara911: **I guess you'll just have to wait and find out if everyone survives... You'll get at least some answers in this chapter. *evil smile* And thank you! At the time I'm writing this, I have 101 reviews in total :) So YAY!**_

_A random surprise: **Nope! XD**_

_Breyannia: **Yup, it's probably pretty hard on all of them... And you'll see what's going on with Johann soon enough.**_

_XxPinkMustachexX: **Of course it has to storm! XD And yeah, poor Toothless! I actually had a DREAM about him worrying for Hiccup and it was sooooo sad! (Why, brain? Why do this to me?) And you'll find out what's happening with Johann soon...**_

_Nightfury101: ** Thanks! And I have some really high hopes for my next story, I've been waiting since the end of Blood Letter to write it! :D**_

_fictionreader16: **Thank you~ :D**_

_midnightsky0612: **LOL!**_

_Blue - The First Traveller: **Oh my... XD That was...graphic! LOL! **_

* * *

It seems to take hours for Astrid to find Johann's ship, even though it's only been about twenty minutes. So when she finally spots it, bobbing on the angry waves, her voice is tremendously loud when she shouts down, "JOHANN!"

The merchant jumps in surprise and spins around, looking quite confused to find Astrid and Stormfly above him. "Ah, Astrid!" He calls up to her. "What a pleasant surprise! How can I help y-AHH!" He screams when Stormfly suddenly lurches down, talons extended, and grabs him by the back of his tunic. His legs kick wildly as he's yanked into the air. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" He demands.

"I'll explain on the way!" She replies as her Nadder tosses him into the air and then flies below him so he lands in the saddle.

"B-but what about my ship?!"

"We'll find it later." She tells him, patting Stormfly's side and redirecting her back toward Berk. "Trust me, we haven't got time to waste..."

So Johann simply growls in frustration and holds on tight to her shoulder as the dragon wheels around and rockets back toward their home island. Under his breath, he mutters something along the lines of, "I'm never getting out of here, am I?" Only to squeal in fear as a sudden flash of lightning strikes dangerously close to him.

* * *

Despite the muggy heat that has been plaguing the island for days, there's a fire roaring in Hiccup's bedroom. Everyone inside is sweating and have stripped down to the lightest layers of clothing but no one dares extinguish the flame. Because it looks like it might be the only thing keeping the shivering, moaning boy on the bed from freezing to death. Hiccup is pale as a ghost, but now, his skin is hot to the touch. His fever has returned with a vengeance.

_Trader Johann wasn't kidding when he said how unpredictable the illness is_, Stoick reminds himself from where he sits gloomily beside his son, watching with shadowed eyes as Gothi tries everything in her power to save him. _One minute, he's burning up, the next he's freezing...five minutes ago we couldn't get him to make a sound and now..._

"Uhhh..." Hiccup groans in pain, his eyes squeezed tightly shut. His hands alternate fisting the sheets and going deadly still, as if he's lost feeling in them. His forehead is glistening with sweat, despite the fact that he's shivering violently.

Stoick's breaths are almost more hitched than his son's as he's forced to watch the boy struggle and whimper. A terrible pain aches in his chest as he reaches out to touch Hiccup's cheek. But he can feel the heat radiating off of it several inches away, as if his son were burning alive.

He feels someone touch his shoulder but doesn't turn to see who it is. He doesn't care. He doesn't care... Right now, he's only got eyes for Hiccup. His son, who is slowly, painfully dying in front of him.

"Stoick," It's Gobber's voice.

"Leave me be, Gobber." Hiccup's father grumbles. He tries to ignore the fact that Gothi has stopped working on his son and is now standing at the back of the room, her wrinkly face twisted in despair.

And his friend sighs heavily and steps back. He doesn't have the heart to tell him...there's nothing they can do. Gothi has tried everything. Every remedy she can think of, every random herb, everything... There's just..._nothing_.

But of course...Stoick already knows this. His breath shudders as he reaches down again to take his son's hand. Hiccup has gone still again, his expression blank although his breathing is labored and rattles in his chest. His father's eyes are misty as he runs a thumb over the boy's hot cheek. Stoick bows his head and everyone looks away. They try to convince themselves that their Chief isn't crying. Vikings don't cry.

* * *

As Astrid tugs open the front door of the Haddock house, she's greeted by a suffocating gush of hot air and total, deadly silence. The feeling within is so heavy her steps falter for a moment and she just stands there, her hand on the door. She immediately pales as her stomach twists in fear. Are they too late...?

Trembling slightly, she steps inside. A dark shape in the corner of her eye catches her attention. Toothless is laying curled up beside the door, his head buried beneath his wings. Even when she calls his name, he doesn't respond to her.

Her breath leaves her in a single, shaky puff and she closes her eyes. _Please, gods...please don't let us be too late...! _And then she grabs Johann's wrist and yanks him up the stairs behind her.

* * *

Hiccup is still laying motionless, his arm enclosed in his father's hand, when she reaches his room. His breaths are shallow and wheezing, his chest's movements rickety and irregular.

Astrid grimaces at his obvious pain, her eyes stinging as she notices how silent and grim everyone is being. Particularly Stoick. But Hiccup's not dead yet...and Johann is here now. He...he can fix this. She knows he can. So, after another short moment of discomfort, Astrid clears her throat and says, "Sir?"

Stoick seems to go rigid for a moment before he turns around. His eyes are red and glassy but Astrid ignores that.

"Sir, Johann is here..." She mutters as if he can't see the merchant standing right behind her.

Johann steps forward, grimacing at Hiccup. "I know very little about this illness, as has clearly become obvious..." He admits. "But I _do_ know those flowers are the cure. Why they haven't worked...I also don't know."

Stoick closes his eyes, all remaining hope evaporating. Johann can't fix this either... So Hiccup really is going to die.

"But!" The trader continues. "With the help of your medicine woman, I'm sure we can figure it out. After all, the lilies are the antidote...there must have simply been an...error in the way we administered them."

Gothi, who had previously been hunched down, silently cursing herself for failing once again to save someone from this dreaded poison, straightens up. Her expression becomes thoughtful at Johann's words.

"Do you really think you can save him?" Astrid whispers desperately.

And the merchant, once more back to his chatty, casual self, smiles at her. "Well we certainly won't be able to by sitting around and moping! Come, Gothi." He says as he strides over to help her up from her seat. "I have a few spare lilies with me from earlier." And then they hobble down the stairs together and Gobber stands to follow them so he can help translate, leaving only Astrid and Stoick left in the room.

Hiccup's friend remains lingering by the doorway for a moment, even after the others have left. She chews on the inside of her cheek as she gazes at Hiccup's weakened body, moving slowly as she approaches. Astrid walks around to the other side of his bed before sitting down. She gently reaches down to cup his hand in hers, running her thumbs across his palm.

At the coolness of her touch, Hiccup sighs and his head lulls to the side. For the first time since she left, he looks almost peaceful. ...why does that scare her so much...?

"Thank you, Astrid."

The suddenness of Stoick's voice almost causes her to jump. She looks up to find him staring lovingly, grimly at his son.

"For taking care of him before...and getting Johann..."

Astrid nods her head but says, "Don't thank me yet..."

Stoick looks up as well and they seem to say something to each other without words. And although neither of them is exactly sure the other got their silent message, both of them tighten their grips on Hiccup's hands at the same moment. This is one thing they both understand.

But their quiet moment is abruptly ended at the ear-shattering howl of sorrow that erupts from downstairs. Toothless. Astrid's first instinct is run down and see what's wrong with him...until she realizes... Only one thing could make him cry out like that.

Eyes wide, she looks down...and her vision immediately blurs with tears. Her lips tremble to voice the words that will alert Stoick to what's happening but he's still staring down the steps, obviously not having noticed it yet. "S-sir..." She stammers.

And when the Chief looks back at her, her figures it out. "No..." Jumping to his feet, he grabs Hiccup's shoulder and leans down, pressing his ear to the boy's chest. Astrid stands as well, stumbling back until she reaches the wall to give him room.

Hiccup's not breathing...

Stoick pulls away slowly. His eyes are shut, his hands shaking. "I can't...I can't hear his heart."

* * *

_**A/N: THERE'S ANOTHER CHAPTER! PLEASE DON'T RAGE QUIT!**_

_**Also a pretty short chapter...sorry about that.**_


	9. Epilogue

_**Chapter Nine**_

_**A/N: I've got a lot of explaining to do, don't I?**_

_**In response to...**_

_The Galloping Cupcake: **You're about to find out if they can revive him or not... **_

_XxPinkMustachexX: **Well, you'll get your answers here. :) And I'm glad your wrist feels better! :D**_

_Jesusfreak: **Yesssss! XD**_

_GuardianDragon98: **Lol, I'm sorry! **_

_Blue -The First Traveller: **Also: the entirety of Deranged, the climax of Escarpment, pretty much all of Bewitched & Captivated, and the climax of Ice! XDDDD ...poor Hiccup. He is NOT safe in my hands.****  
**_

_Snowflake: **YESSSS! XDDDD**_

_InfinitiumAce: **That's alright, although admittedly your review required just a bit of deciphering XDD Lol, I'm just kidding! Hope your cycling-wounds feel better soon!**_

_Johnriley245: **Oh, I'll think about it I guess...**_

_skyle1412: **I'm sorry about your emotions... XD But just read the chapter, I think you'll be pleased. :)**_

_Breyannia: **Good :) It's risky business sometimes making cliffhangers that...dangerous. Some people just DO NOT like them. And you'll find out wh Johann left in this chapter.**_

_HTTYDFanaddict, midnightsky0612: **LOL! XD**_

_Nahelo: **Well, here it is! :D**_

_A random surprise: **LOL! And Toothless knew he was dead because he stopped being able to hear his heart.**_

_Guest: **Because torturing you guys is the highlight of my day! XD Lol, thank you though! I'm glad you're enjoying it and I hope you like the outcome...**_

_Nightfury101: **Lol, yup! Guilty as charged! XD**_

_fictionreader16: **Okaay, that's an extremely creepy thing to say. e_e**_

_dancingRAINBOWS: **Oh wow! :D Thank you so much! (I feel like a total dope because that's all I can think to say in response to such a nice review...) but SERIOUSLY WOW! I'm sooo glad you like the story and enjoy my little twists and turns and the effort I put into it. So...THANKS AGAIN! **_

* * *

He can't hear a heart beat? What does he mean he can't hear a heart beat?! There HAS to be a heart beat...! There HAS to be...!

Astrid lifts a shaking hand to cover her mouth because she feels like she might be sick. Tears roll freely down her cheeks and doesn't try to stop them. _Gods...Hiccup is..._

He's so still. And pale. He's not breathing, and now, Stoick says he can't hear his heart. But that means...he's...dead.

Toothless howls again, even more despaired than the last. And downstairs, Gobber, Johann, and Gothi momentarily freeze their movements. They know too. They're officially out of time.

The sound of boots thundering up the stairs barely manages to cover the Night Fury's sorrowful shrieks as Toothless desperately tries to hear his Rider's heart beat...but finds nothing but silence.

Gothi pushes her way past the other two, a wooden bowl clutched in her hands. With a strength surprising for such a little, old woman, she practically shoves Stoick out of the way and grasps Hiccup's arm.

Setting the bowl down on the bedside table, she brushes his fur vest open and places an ear to his chest. The elder's expression darkens as she, too, determines his heart has stopped. They might already be too late.

But that doesn't stop her from trying. She takes Hiccup's wrist, which already is starting to feel cold, and rolls up his sleeve to reveal the red bite mark. It almost glows against his pale white skin, looking almost triumphant. As if it's about to win some long-fought battle.

Gothi scowls at it as she dips her fingers into the pale pink creme they've mixed up in the bowl. It still smells strongly of the Basilisk Lilies as she applies it to the bite. Everyone stares in desperate fear as the salve seems to...absorb into his skin.

...but Hiccup still doesn't breathe. And Astrid's eyes squeeze shut, positive that they've failed him. That Hiccup is gone...and the wails of his dragon are only a testament to that fact.

However, Stoick has suddenly decided otherwise. He can feel it. He doesn't know how, but he _knows_ that if he can get his son to breathe again...if he can _just _get Hiccup's heart to just beat one more time, the medicine will kick in and he'll be fine. He knows it's crazy. Hiccup is dead. But he still has to try.

So as Gothi draws away, having done all she can, Stoick takes her place. He presses his interlocked fists on Hiccup's chest and grimaces. The boy looks so fragile right now, like glass. He's so afraid he'll simply shatter if he tries this...though it's not like he has a choice. So he pushes down as hard as he can, Hiccup's body jolting limply under the force.

Nothing. He doesn't wake up.

Stoick tries again, his eyes nearly wild as he prays for Hiccup to breathe. And his hopes aren't silent either. "Come on, son...!" He growls as he pushes again. "Just breathe...!"

A fourth try and still nothing.

Gothi shakes her head and leans it in her hand, sighing in misery as Gobber pats her back. His head is bowed.

A fifth and no response.

Astrid has slid to the ground, her face buried in her knees.

A sixth, nothing.

Johann outwardly curses and sinks into a sitting position as well. He looks over at Astrid, who has lifted her head and is staring broken-heartedly at Hiccup.

A seventh and still-

"GAAAASP!" Hiccup's body lurches forward as he drags in a lungful of air, only to immediately fall back onto the bed, coughing and wheezing and shaking terribly.

For a split second, everyone just stands there and gapes. Their mouths fall open and they all glance at each other in utter shock. Even Stoick doesn't move from the position he gained against the wall when he fell back in surprise.

No one moves and, ironically, no one breathes as Hiccup seems to come back to life in front of them. His coughs die down and, although his forehead is scrunched, his eyes blink open and he shakes his head. His green eyes fall on all of them, one at a time, and then down at himself.

He looks pale, sickly, and weak. His body is trembling and sweaty and his bangs have stuck to his forehead with the stuff. His throat, stomach, arm, head...they all ache terribly. But...there's a sort of relief in his chest. Like he'd been holding his breath for a long time and now he can finally breathe again.

He wants to ask everyone why they're staring at him but before he gets a chance, Johann suddenly cries out as he's violently pushed aside by a fast-moving black figure. Toothless skids to a halt about an inch away from Hiccup's bed, his own green eyes narrow and the pupils slitted as if he isn't sure this is real.

Hiccup hesitates. This is all so weird. He feels like he missed _a lot_. But this is Toothless so he simply forces a little, weak grin from where he's laying and whispers, "Hey, bud."

And then it's like the whole world explodes around him. Before he even knows what's happening, he's suffocating in his father's beard and he's pretty sure he feels his bones creak as all of them jump on him simultaneously, their embraces tight enough snap his spine. Luckily though, it never gets that far. Because no longer than a second later, Gothi wacks Stoick across the back of his head with her staff and points an aged finger in the other direction.

Hiccup gasps for air again as he's released, offering the medicine woman a grateful smile as his friends also pull away. All but Toothless, who has quite literally climbed onto the bed and has somehow managed to get all the way _around _him and is now almost cradling Hiccup against his belly. But the wheezing boy doesn't mind that, his dragon's warmth feels good against his cold body and he relaxes into it while he waits for an explanation as to what in THOR'S name is going on here.

"Hiccup," Stoick begins as he beams with happiness. "You've been to Helheim and back, son..."

* * *

Water laps the edges of the docks where Johann's ship has been pulled back into port. The air is chilly, as usual. Berk's heat wave has gone at last and there's even a thin blanket of frost on the ground. Dark grey clouds hang low in the sky and little flakes of snow dance through the air.

Hiccup shivers and tries to rub his arms, only to frown at the sling that keeps his right hand from moving. Although he can't see his skin below the layers of bandages that wrap his wrist, he knows the bite is still rather red. But _nothing_ like it was before. Gothi told him the damage wasn't too bad and feeling should return to it within a few days...but for now, it has to stay wrapped.

He looks over at Toothless, who is supporting most of his weight as they stand there a few feet away from the docks, and smiles. "Come on, bud." He says as they start carefully walking across the slippery wooden port. "I want to say goodbye to Johann before my dad finds out I'm up..."

His dragon snorts, frustrated that his Rider _refuses _to rest, but at least _he's_ here and can keep an eye on him. Besides... The dragon's ears twitch as he listens to the strong thumps of his human's heart. With a little purr, he decides the boy will be fine. As his father put it, he's "no longer in the woods".

"Johann!" Hiccup calls once they're close enough and the merchant turns around, his eyes wide with shock.

"Master Hiccup? What are you doing out of bed?" He demands in a voice that sounds not unlike Stoick... "Didn't your father tell you to rest?"

Toothless's Rider smiles sheepishly and nods. "He did...but I wanted to say goodbye to you before you left!"

Johann's firm expression softens and he, too, smiles before patting Hiccup's shoulder. "Well, it's a relief to see you back on your feet, at least..." Although he looks a little guilty. "I'm sorry I almost poisoned you because I didn't know what I was doing." He grumbles, guiltily.

But Hiccup only sighs and nods his head. "I know. You've already apologized..._fourteen_ times. I'm not mad, Johann! If not for you, I'd be dead right now!"

So the trader pats his shoulder again and says, "Thank you, Master Hiccup."

And Hiccup smirks at him, shifting his weight so that he's no longer leaning on Toothless and instead standing straight up on his own. "Thank _you_, Johann. You saved my life." Then, he glances over his shoulder at the ship full of Vikings about to sail for the island Snotlout marked on their map. They're going to find where those Basilisk Lilies grow and bring some bulbs to Berk so they can grow them here as well, just in case. "Mine and some others as well, I'm sure."

"It was my pleasure." The merchant assures him. "I'm just glad Gothi figured out it wasn't meant to be ingested... Luckily drinking it isn't deadly!" He tries to joke, although he only earns a shiver from Hiccup at the memory of that vile flavor it left in his mouth.

"Yeah, luckily..." The boy echos.

Just then, the docks shake as a Nadder lands heavily behind Hiccup. Her vibrantly colors wings folding against her body as Astrid peers around the saddle at Johann. She smiles and says, "Alright, your ship is all ready to go when you-" But she stops herself when she notices the slender teenager standing across from him. "HICCUP!" She barks as she jumps down. "Are you seriously disobeying your father _again_?!"

"Hey, he never said I couldn't say goodbye to Johann!" Hiccup points out. "Which is why I'm up!"

She sighs deeply and steps forward to take his elbow, trying to support some of his weight. "Well you look like you're about to fall over..." She mumbles, feeling the way he involuntarily leans against her. Then, replacing her smile on her face, she looks back up at Johann. "Thanks for all your help, Trader Johann."

"It was not a problem, Miss Astrid." He insists with a deep bow. Then, turning back to Hiccup, he bows again and says, "I'll see you soon, Master Hiccup. Feel better." And then he excuses himself to his ship, leaving them alone.

Astrid glances sideways at Hiccup and shakes her head. "Honestly..." She mumbles as she pulls him toward Stormfly. "How did you even get down here without collapsing? You couldn't even stand up this morning..."

Hiccup shrugs, wincing at the sudden sharp pain in his hand. But that's normal, Gothi assures him. It happens anytime someone gets nerve damage like this. So he just tries to ignore it and replies with, "I had Toothless to help me. It's not like he's never been my crutch before..."

Astrid stares at him, slightly startled. Her brow creases at the memory of those few weeks after the battle with the Red Death when Hiccup could barely walk at all, even with someone to lean on. Toothless was usually his 'crutch' during those days. "Yeah well...it's still dangerous for you to move around too much."

"Eh, I'm alright." He tells her. "Besides, I'm sick of laying around."

Astrid rolls her eyes at him and mumbles, "Stubborn Viking."

He grins at her and giggles a little when Toothless prods him playfully with his nose. "So...I saw what Fishlegs was making earlier today."

Astrid freezes in place and winces slightly. "You saw?"

"Yup." And then he arcs an eyebrow at her and asks, "You really think going back out there is such a good idea after what happened to me?"

Slowly, Astrid continues leading him toward his house. Her grip tightens on his arm and around his waist at his question. "The whole island has dragons now, Hiccup." She reminds him, earning a questioning look from her friend. "Chances are, we won't be the only people to go exploring. I just...want to make sure no one else gets bitten by one of those things."

Hiccup nods his head in understanding, although his eyes are thoughtful. "And you think a sign is going to stop that from happening?"

She shrugs and shifts her weight to support him with only one arm as she opens his front door. "It's a start." She points out. "We mark the nest and make it so no one gets close. At least until we can learn more about the Venomous Vorpent..."

Hiccup blinks in surprise at her but his lips quirk up into a smile that looks almost...proud. "You still want to learn about it?"

"Of course." She mumbles. "It would only be more dangerous if we continue to know nothing about them."

Hiccup's grin spreads and he chuckles quietly as they hobble inside together, Toothless trailing very closely behind them. "Spoken like a true Dragon Trainer..."

She scoffs quietly and rolls her eyes, but a small smirk has touched her lips as well. "Yeah, I can't help but be curious about them and it's all _your_ fault!" She grumbles, playfully wacking him across his shoulder.

He winces a bit and rubs the forming bruise. "Hey, easy! I have _feeling_ in my arm again!"

"Exactly!" She snickers, but then her smile fades and a distant look crosses her eyes.

"Astrid?" Hiccup asks, his grin also disappearing. "What's wrong?"

Suddenly, her expression sours and she punches him even harder. He yelps in pain and trips backwards into the wall.

"What was _that_ for?!" He demands angrily as he rubs his shoulder. And by the look on her face, he doubts she's going to follow up with their trademark kiss. Instead, he shrinks back as her face turns even darker and if he didn't know any better, he'd swear he could see tears gathering in the corners of her eyes.

But of course Vikings don't cry. And Astrid is no exception to that.

"That," She growls. "Was because I just remembered the horrible thing you did to me!"

He only stares uncomprehendingly at her. Obviously not getting what she means.

"You made me think you were dead...!" She reminds him furiously. "You scared me to _death_!"

"Oh..." He gulps, too afraid of what kind of violence she's surely going to unleash on him to really understand what she's saying. "I'm sorry..."

She nods curtly and folds her arms. "You should be!" And then she hits him one more time, just for good measure. "And listen up, Hiccup! You _ever_ scare me that bad again and _I_ will make Vorpentitis look like a walk through the park...!"

He swallows in fear because he knows she isn't joking. "Uh, wouldn't dream of it...Astrid."

So she nods again before turning back toward the door, satisfied that he's safely back in his home _and_ she's been thoroughly understood. Astrid throws open the door and takes one step outside before pausing. She chews her lip in thought for a second before muttering, "Hiccup."

"Hm?" He asks sourly as he continues to rub his aching arm. It's only when her hands suddenly cup his cheeks and their lips are pressing together that he realizes she ever came back inside.

His arm still aches but at the moment, he doesn't really care. Hiccup melts into her kiss and his eyelids droop closed, his heart noticeably fluttering in his chest.

When the two teenagers eventually part, they smirk at each other. Astrid begins to say something but is cut off when someone loudly groans behind them. She gasps and spins around, blushing madly that someone caught them kissing. However, her embarrassment is quickly morphed into anger when she realizes who it is.

"SNOTLOUT!" She barks as her hands ball into fists.

"Ugh, why is it that every time I see you two together I get a really sick feeling in my stomach?" He sneers in disgust.

"That's your gut warning you!" Astrid growls as she lifts her fist. "It's telling you to run!"

His eyes snap wide open and he backs away, lifting his arms into the air as a surrender. "Uh...what I _meant_ to say is, we're all ready to go hang that sign at the sea stacks, Astrid..."

She nods her head again before glancing over her shoulder at Hiccup, who is staring distastefully at Snotlout. Obviously he's not very happy that their little 'moment' got interrupted. "I'll see you when we get back." She assures him before pointing commandingly to his room. "Get some rest. And make sure, this time, you _stay_ there."

He rolls his eyes before backing toward the steps. "Yes, ma'am."

"Toothless, you're in charge." She says as she hurries out to join the other Riders, the door closing softly behind her.

Said Night Fury looks sideways at Hiccup, a challenging gleam in his eyes as if to say 'Yeah, that's right. I'm in charge!' But his Rider only shakes his head and hobbles up the stairs.

"She was joking, you know." He says but Toothless only holds his head up high and follows his human up to the bedroom, determined to keep him here this time. After all, he's in charge. He refuses to let his human get hurt or sick again. And he is _not_ beyond sitting on him to keep him still!

Obviously, Hiccup can sense his dragon's determination because he quietly, obediently sinks onto his bed, wincing a bit at his numb hand. With a small frown, he peels the bandage back to get a peek at the bite...and he gasps slightly at what he sees.

It's gone. The mark is gone!

Hiccup smiles and lowers the bandage again. When he rolls over, he finds Toothless curling up on the floor beside him and reaches down to pet his Night Fury's head. "Sorry, bud." He says, seemingly out of the blue.

Toothless cracks open his eyes again and coos gently.

"I know it must have been scary for you." He giggles a little when his dragon lifts his head to nuzzle against his cheek. "But...look on the bright side, at least we have a cure for Vorpentitis now! _And_ we found a whole species of dragon we didn't know existed."

But Toothless only snorts and closes his eyes again, unimpressed. Frankly, he'd rather his human just stay out of trouble. Even if it means just staying on Berk. Of course...Hiccup will _never_ do that. And Toothless knows that, the moment he's feeling back to normal, he'll be out flying again. They might even get into more trouble... Hiccup might get hurt.

But...that's okay. Toothless will be with him and he'll keep him safe. Because he _never_, _EVER_ wants to hear that much silence in Hiccup's chest ever again. So he'll keep his little human close and protect him from all the dangers of their archipelago home. But at least he won't be the only one with that goal...

"Hiccup!"

Toothless's Rider flinches at the sound of his father's voice and a weak smile touches his lips. "Um, hey Dad."

"What's this I heard about you wandering around at the docks?" The Chief demands.

"Uhhh..." Hiccup looks pleadingly down at Toothless but the dragon only yawns and closes his eyes.

_Sorry, Hiccup. _Toothless thinks. _But your father is the one thing I can't help you with._

* * *

_**A/N: Yup, my endings are always on the strangest notes...and I apologize for that. I'm just REALLY bad at endings... BUT! Thanks to everyone for all the lovely reviews, follows, and favorites and I hope you liked the story!**_

_**PS, my next fanfic is called "Siren Sung". If you're interested, you can keep an eye on my profile for information regarding when it'll be posted!**_


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